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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #153729

Title: EFFECT OF HAY SOURCE AND LEVEL ON TISSUE TRACE MINERAL CONCENTRATIONS AND APPARENT ABSORPTION IN GROWING STEERS

Author
item Grings, Elaine
item POLAND, W - NDSU RES & EXT CENTER

Submitted to: Research Update for Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2002
Publication Date: 1/15/2003
Citation: GRINGS, E.E., POLAND, W.W. EFFECT OF HAY SOURCE AND LEVEL ON TISSUE TRACE MINERAL CONCENTRATIONS AND APPARENT ABSORPTION IN GROWING STEERS. RESEARCH UPDATE FOR FORT KEOGH LIVESTOCK AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY. p. 80-81. 2003.

Interpretive Summary: : Understanding the utilization of minerals from forages is critical to developing cost effective supplementation strategies; however, information on mineral utilization from forages is lacking. Western wheatgrass is a major forage species on Northern Great Plains rangelands. Mineral profiles of western wheatgrass have been reported, but there is little information on the availability of these minerals to cattle. While studies have been conducted on the relative availability of macrominerals from legumes compared with grasses, there is limited information on trace minerals. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of increasing intake on tissue mineral concentrations of steers fed western wheatgrass or alfalfa hays along with measures of apparent absorption. Organ trace mineral levels and concentrations can be altered by feeding different forages. Some of these alterations may be due simply to differing trace mineral concentrations in the forages while others may be related to differing solubilities within the gastrointestinal tract. Additional work is needed to evaluate the interrelationship of altering organ mass through changing nutrient densities on mineral metabolism. While response to increasing mineral intake of inorganic sources is used as a measure of mineral bioavialability, utilizing increased intake is generally not sensitive enough for evaluation of forage mineral bioavailability.

Technical Abstract: : Understanding the utilization of minerals from forages is critical to developing cost effective supplementation strategies; however, information on mineral utilization from forages is lacking. Western wheatgrass is a major forage species on Northern Great Plains rangelands. Mineral profiles of western wheatgrass have been reported, but there is little information on the availability of these minerals to cattle. While studies have been conducted on the relative availability of macrominerals from legumes compared with grasses, there is limited information on trace minerals. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of increasing intake on tissue mineral concentrations of steers fed western wheatgrass or alfalfa hays along with measures of apparent absorption. Organ trace mineral levels and concentrations can be altered by feeding different forages. Some of these alterations may be due simply to differing trace mineral concentrations in the forages while others may be related to differing solubilities within the gastrointestinal tract. Additional work is needed to evaluate the interrelationship of altering organ mass through changing nutrient densities on mineral metabolism. While response to increasing mineral intake of inorganic sources is used as a measure of mineral bioavialability, utilizing increased intake is generally not sensitive enough for evaluation of forage mineral bioavailability.