A close examination of the feed ration reveals that the garden salad-looking bovine meal may contain corn silage, hay and flaked corn. There may be byproducts from local plants such as beet pulp, cottonseeds or even bakery waste. When feeding cows, it is important to note that cows don’t have a requirement for hay or grain but for the nutrients that these feeds contain.

Recognizing the fluctuation of trace mineral availability at calving allows producers to supplement cows in a way that avoids antagonism and low absorption. 

Millions of cows around the world consume diets that have been formulated as optimally as possible.