Calcium and phosphorus are two of the most important minerals in beef cattle diets and are considered macrominerals.

Grass tetany can be a problem, but the solutions are simple.

Let’s look at a forage test report – particularly at the levels of minerals. Lots of interesting numbers. Here are some things to consider when I look at those numbers.

The transition period is a tumultuous period for a cow and those of us trying to manage them. During this time cows are particularly prone to mineral and metabolic imbalances that can leave them more susceptible to diseases as well as lower milk production and poorer reproductive performance.

Subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) is an invisible threat to both the dairy cow and producer. As nearly 45 percent of multiparous cows experience SCH during the early lactation period, producers can implement dietary strategies such as feeding negative dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) rations in the late dry period or administering prophylactic calcium treatments to fresh cows to minimize the risk of SCH.