Effects of mineral supplementation on cattle performance when grazed mature wheat

Figures & data

Table 1. Pre-grazing forage mass, dry matter content and nutritive value of forage wheat grazed by heifers in supplemented with (SUP) and without (CTR) minerals.

Parameters	CTR		SUP
	Mean	SEM	Mean	SEM
Pre-grazing forage mass (kg DM/ha)	9510	−	7390	−
DM (%)	47	5.9	49	6.0
NDF (% DM)	54	1.4	55	1.9
ADF (% DM)	28	2.3	29	3.2
CP (% DM)	7.1	1.58	6.6	2.23
ASH (% DM)	5.0	0.99	5.0	1.41
OM (% DM)	96.0	0.99	95.0	1.41
DMD (% DM)	62.0	1.70	63.0	2.40
ME (MJ/kg DM)	9.0	0.28	9.2	0.39
WSC (% DM)	19	2.8	21	4.0
K (% DM)	1.41	−	1.29	−
Na (% DM)	0.03	−	0.03	−
Ca (% DM)	0.09	−	0.09	−
Mg (% DM)	0.08	−	0.08	−

Table 2. Live weight change, intake, plasma urea, urine salinity, nitrogen, creatinine and estimated urinary nitrogen excretion of heifers supplemented with (SUP) and without (CTR) minerals.

Parameters	CTR	SUP	SED	P-value
Live weight at the start of study (kg/heifer)	344	342	8.1	0.77
Live weight at the end of study (kg/heifer)	357	355	7.5	0.79
Live weight gain (kg/day/heifer)	0.5	0.5	0.15	0.97
Mineral intake (g/day/heifer)	0	106	−	−
Drinking water intake (L/day/heifer)	14.9	19.6	−	−
Feed water intake (L/day/heifer)	13.7	12.3	−	−
Daily water intake (L/day/heifer)	28.6	31.9	−	−
Crude protein intake (g/day/heifer)	670	570	9.0	<0.001
Metabolizable energy intake (MJ/day/heifer)	82	75	0.8	<0.001
Plasma urea (mmol/l)	3.0	3.0	0.26	0.97
Urine salinity (%)	3.4	4.8	0.68	0.048
Urinary nitrogen (%)	0.45	0.55	0.110	0.37
Urinary creatinine (umol/l)	14.0	10.3	2.25	0.11
Urinary nitrogen excretion (g/day/heifer)	27.7	27.2	2.76	0.87