Farm animal nutrition: Minerals

Minerals are inorganic compounds, which are left to the ashes after the tissue or the feed has been burned. In dog foods cans, for example, this is marked as "ash" (there is no ash added - it just means the inorganic material in the feed). There are 7 macrominerals and 15 microminerals which farm animals need to get from their feed. The animal needs over 100 mg/kg of macrominerals and less than 50 mg/kg of microminerals (trace elements) each day. In the body, minerals are used for building tissues, regulating the osmotic pressure and as catalysts. Deficiency of some minerals may be even lethal, as the important regulatory systems or metabolism fails.

For farm animals, the necessary macrominerals are C, P, K, Na, Cl, S, Mg.
Necessary trace elements / microminerals are Fe, Zn, Cu, Mb, Se, I, Mn, Co

The amount of minerals required by an animal is affected by its production level, health, amount of growth, meat quality, bone structure and feed digestability. Minerals should be in an available form in the feed. For example, phosphorus exists in plants as phytine acid, and phytase enzyme is required to sever the Ps from the acid. Pigs and poultry have no phytase enzyme in their bodies, so it must be added to the feed. Production level of the animal affects greatly to its need for minerals. Animals secrete a lot of calcium in milk and eggs, and thus need it constantly from their feed.

Mineral	Use in body	Deficiency symptoms	Poisoning symptoms
Ca Calcium	Milk production, bone structure, muscle actions, blood clotting	Rickets, bone deformations, milk fever, reduced milk yield	Calcification of soft tissues, decreased absorbance of other minerals
P Phosphorus	Bone structure, DNA, energy metabolism	Rickets, bone deformations, decreased fertility, pica (eating non-foods (soil, wood etc))	N/A
Mg Magnesium	Muscle functions, milk production, energy metabolism, nervous system	grass tetany/grass staggers, nervousness, loss of weight, Calcification of soft tissues	Diarrhea, loss of appetite, rumen damage
K Potassium	Milk production, pH balance, muscle and nervous tension	Loss of appetite, paralysis, matted fur, decreased milk yield	Milk fever, decreased absorption of Mg, mastitis
Na Sodium	Osmotic tension, pH balance, muscle functions	Loss of appetite and milk yield, pica	Swelling
Cl Cloride	Osmotic tension, pH balance, formation of gastric acid	Descrease in milk yield	Swelling, constipation
Fe Iron	Haemoglobin, biochemical reactions	Anemia	Decreased growth, liver damage
I Iodine	Essential for fertility, brain development and thyroid glands	Decreased fertility, enlarged thyroid gland	Hypothyroidism
Zn Zinc	Cell division, appetite	Loss of appetite, decreased growth and fertility, skin problems	Decreased growth, pica, liver damage
Cu Copper	Activates enzymes, bone development, growth, breeding, health of skin and fur	Anemia, decreased growth, bone deformations, colorless fur, liver damage, heart problems	Liver and muscle damage
Mn Mangan	Essential for growth and fertility	Bone deformations, decrease in fertility	Decreased growth and appetite
Co Cobalt	Component of B12 vitamin	Anemia, decreased appetite	N/A
Se Selenium	ssential for growth and fertility	Decreased fertility, muscular dystrophy	Anemia, bad fur quality, hoof problems
Cr Chrome	Connected to stress	The amount of chrome in the liver deceases during stress	N/A

More information

Salt and trace minerals by Salt Institute
The need for trace minerals by HVS Animal Health