Minerals classification in animal nutrition
When you visit the Veterinary pharmacy and agro vets near you to source for mineral salts for your animals, what exactly do you consider when buying from the different companies? Price may be the answer but you should go beyond that.
Production and reproduction is a factor of genetics and nutrition. When the genetics are right, correct feeding enhances good reproduction – giving birth to young ones (for mammals) and continuous production (of milk, meat and eggs) across the lactation period. Proper feeding entails feeding your domestic animals cows with feeds well constituted with carbohydrates, proteins, mineral salts and vitamins as well as clean water.
The quantities that should be fed to cows, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry and fish should not only be sufficient but also be of good quality.
All minerals are required in small amounts by animals but nevertheless they are important components of the ration. They are very essential for animals to remain healthy and for the body to function properly, for the development and maintenance of strong bones and for successful reproduction and optimal production of milk and eggs by poultry flocks.
By definition, ,minerals are chemical elements which form important component of animal feed ingredients. They are essential in ensuring normal and proper functions of the body as well as in maintenance of good health.
When an element that is classified as essential lacks in the diet, animals will show deficiency symptoms in shorter or longer time. The effects of the deficiency thus exhibited varies with the severity of the lack of that specific element and the relationship with other elements. The deficiency symptoms are eradicated thereafter or prevented beforehand by inclusion of this particular element in the diet.
Elements are required in different amount by the different animal species. Some elements are required in relatively large amounts compared to others. Minerals are either classified as 'macro-minerals' when they are required in larger amounts that is grams per kg feed) or 'trace-minerals' or 'micro-minerals' when they are required in minute amounts that is milligrams or micrograms per kg of feed).
About 20 elements are useful in animal nutrition. Of these carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen are regarded as the non-mineral elements. They are found in different amounts in carbohydrates, proteins and water. The other 16 are referred to as the mineral elements which function in animal nutrition. Of these 7 are macro-minerals and 9 are micro-minerals. Micro-minerals are also sometimes called trace-minerals.
Minerals that can be stored in the animal body such as copper in the liver and calcium in the bones show signs of deficiencies are after a longer period of deficient feeding. Minerals that are not stored in the body show signs of deficiency quite rapid.
The macro-minerals are: Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Magnesium (Mg) Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Chlorine (Cl) and Sulphur (S).
The trace minerals are: Iron (Fe), Iodine (I), Selenium (Se), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Cobalt (Co), Fluorine (F), Manganese (Mn) and Molybdenum (Mo).
These minerals are formulated in powder form that can easily be mixed with other feeds to enhance palatability or as salt licks (salt blocks) that the animals can lick ad libitum or at will.
Always check the packaging from the manufacturer to know the contents of each of the macro- and trace elements.
Good quality mineral salt is made by credible manufacturers and is usually more expensive than the ones made by backstreet quacks. The credible manufacturers go ahead to make mineral salts for different levels of production such as exclusively for calves, heifers, dry cows and lactating cows.
It is prudent to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the amount of the mineral salts to feed to the animals. The mineral salts should be handled with care since excess of some mineral salts such as Sodium chloride (NaCl) has been shown to cause fatal poisoning in pigs and poultry.
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