What vitamins do cows need in spring? Signs and treatment of vitamin deficiency in cows. Important vitamins for cattle

Among the group of tocopherols, α-tocopherol has the greatest biological activity, which is considered vitamin E itself. It owes its discovery to that established in 1920-1922. the fact that for normal reproduction rats need a certain fat-soluble “dietary factor”, not identical to any of the vitamins known at that time. It was first isolated in relatively pure form from wheat germ oil in 1936.

Vitamin E is absorbed approximately 20-30% mainly in small intestines, and 6 hours after administration, it accumulates in maximum quantities in the liver. The content of vitamin E in the blood plasma increases after eating food according to its content in it.

The most important task of vitamin E is to participate in cellular respiration, but the mechanism of its action is still not clear. Further areas of action of vitamin E are considered to be the exchange of nucleic acids and the effect on the activity of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and the adrenal cortex. It stimulates the production of thyroid-stimulating and adrenocorticotropic hormones, as well as gonadotropins. With a lack of vitamin E, the content of these hormones in the pituitary gland decreases. In addition, it helps maintain testicular function in piglets, calves, cockerels and dogs and prevents fetal resorption in sows. Vitamin E is of great importance as a fat-soluble intracellular antioxidant, primarily for stabilizing unsaturated fatty acids, preventing the formation of toxic lipoperoxides. In feed, digestive tract and endogenous metabolism, vitamin E protects vitamin A, which is especially sensitive to oxygen, from breakdown, and thereby improves the vitamin status of the body.

Vitamin E is found in almost all tissues of the body. However, in the uterus, testicles, adrenal glands and pituitary gland there is much more of it than in other organs, which indicates the specific functions of this vitamin in these organs. In the liver, vitamin E is localized mainly in mitochondria and microsomes actively involved in metabolism. Its deficiency causes the appearance of numerous and varied symptoms in certain animal species. In rats and other laboratory animals, it causes degeneration of the testes, resorption of fetuses and abortions, while heat, estrus and ovulation are not disrupted.

In calves and lambs due to vitamin E deficiency, dystrophic degeneration of cardiac and skeletal muscles develops. Acute degeneration of the heart muscle can lead to sudden stop hearts, affected skeletal muscles are conspicuous by their light color and waxy consistency (“ white muscle disease"). In pigs, yellow fat disease, liver necrosis, gastric ulcers, and movement disorders are found; in birds, encephalomalacia and exudative diathesis are found. After studies on rats and the first preliminary experiments on farm animals, it was believed that vitamin E is associated with the entire reproductive system and can even replace missing sex hormones, for example, the corpus luteum hormone. wheat germ and oil prepared from them for infertility and large agalactia cattle was also attributed to the presence of vitamin E in these products. Only Levin and his colleagues established that it is not tocopherols that have this effect, but hormone-like substances that affect genital area. As Koller points out, French veterinarians at one time even believed that infectious abortion was nothing more than E-vitaminosis, complicated by the presence of Brucella. It is now reliably known that a lack of vitamin E cannot be the cause of impaired reproduction in ruminants, as well as the fact that signs of E-hypovitaminosis in adult ruminants are generally very rare due to the high content of this vitamin in green plants and the formation of a depot from it in organism. For too long, experimental data obtained in rats have been extrapolated to larger animals. Thus, Gullikoon and his colleagues (1944) kept heifers on a diet devoid of vitamin E, and did not observe any unpleasant consequences. Van Derkay et al. (1949) also found that the content of vitamin E in the blood after each meal fluctuates widely, that its low content is compatible with pregnancy and the birth of healthy calves, and that in cows after abortion, under certain conditions, high levels were found in the blood vitamin E content. Only in bulls did experimental E-vitaminosis cause not only degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscles, but also degeneration of the testicles. In adult bulls with the same nutrition sexual function did not change (Salisbury, 1944). A large number of fish oil in the diet of bulls leads to E-hypovitaminosis, accompanied by general dystrophy muscles, which spreads to muscle groups that have undergone special stress during sexual intercourse, and is the cause of secondary impotence. Only after experimental studies on rats and goats was the importance of vitamin E for spermiogenesis of these animal species revealed, while in other species, disturbances in spermiogenesis due to E-hypovitaminosis were not established. Giving vitamin E also does not in any way improve sperm quality. Paufler believes that the importance of vitamin E for spermiogenesis is not so much specific action on the genitals, how much in the general metabolic function.

The situation is somewhat different in pigs, in which the same symptoms are established as in rats: the already formed fetuses die, but are rarely expelled, and more often resolve (infertility from resorption). If a deficiency of vitamin E occurs in advanced stages of pregnancy, then dead and weakly viable piglets with muscle degeneration, especially the heart, are born. Legeneration of the testicles is also known in piglets, which occurs in bulls as a consequence of a lack of vitamin E.

In birds, a lack of vitamin E also impairs reproduction, in particular reducing hatchability in chickens and turkeys.

These conflicting data obtained from certain types animals, the role of vitamin E in reproduction is limited, but not completely refuted. It's just not as great as it has been claimed for decades. In any case, it seems to us that we should question the legitimacy of continuing to use such a name in relation to vitamin E as an antisterile vitamin, a fertility vitamin or a vitamin that stimulates reproduction, as has been the case until now. Vitamin A undoubtedly deserves this name much more.

Animals' need for vitamin E depends on many factors. Thus, the manifestation of chronic vitamin E deficiency is exacerbated by a lack of protein (especially with sulfur-containing amino acids) or selenium (liver necrosis). The same result is observed when, due to a lack of vitamin E, a lot of fats with unsaturated fatty acids (for example, fish oil) are fed. When feeding slowly dried relatively moist hay or grain shortly after harvesting, there is a particularly high risk of an outbreak of diseases associated with a lack of vitamin E. Only for the manifestation of the antioxidant effect is required (depending on the type of animal) an additional 1-3 mg of vitamin E per 1 g of unsaturated fatty acids As with carotene, the absorption of vitamin E is impaired by increased content nitrates in feed or drinking water.

Considering the large number of factors influencing the need for vitamin E, and the mechanism of its action that has not yet been fully elucidated, we can only proceed from an assessment of the need for this vitamin, which, depending on the type of animal and productivity, is 1-2 mg per 1 kg live weight per day. From these indicators, the optimal daily requirements for farm animals are determined, shown in Table 7.

* (In our country, vitamin E preparations are dosed by weight, and not in international units (IU). Depending on the activity of the drug, the same weight amount has different IE content. Thus, 1 mg of synthetic dl-α - tocopherol acetate is equivalent to 1.1 IU, and 1 mg of d - tocopherol is equivalent to 1.49 IU. - Approx. translation)

The content of vitamin E in feed varies significantly. In green food, for example, as the grass matures, it decreases by 1/20. During harvesting and storage, the loss of vitamin E is also very large. The loss of tocopherol during storage is even higher than that of carotene, because its antioxidant effect is manifested in the fact that it itself is oxidized. Therefore, the amount of tocopherol loss during storage largely depends on the composition of the feed and storage conditions. By the end of the storage period, very little tocopherol (as well as carotene) remains in the feed. However, during ensiling, the loss of tocopherol should be less than the loss of carotene, since under anaerobic conditions the breakdown of vitamin E in the silage mass is hardly possible. On the other hand, significant losses occur already during the withering process. Due to the presence of vitamin E antagonists in alfalfa and other legumes, you can only rely on partial use of the amount determined by chemical analysis. Although, as already noted, in cattle the need for vitamin E is usually satisfied by taking it with feed, nevertheless, by adding it to the feedlot diet, which consisted of hay, silage and concentrates, it was possible to achieve a significant improvement in growth.

The results of controlled field experiments and, above all, practical observations in the treatment of reproductive disorders with vitamin E are quite controversial. Maksimov and his colleagues managed to significantly increase fertility in herds with frequent walks by feeding with vegetable oils rich in vitamin E. However, one must also think that this effect may be explained by the content of sexually active substances in vegetable oils. By supplementing a diet low in vitamin E with 20 IE for 15 days preceding the onset of estrus, Marion was able to achieve pregnancy in 34 animals out of 70, while in the control group only 12 became pregnant. Bonfert and Arp (1953), and Merck (1954), without mentioning the status of vitamin E in animals and the level of feeding, reported that after treatment with vitamin E, cows with subovarian function improved fertility. Vitamin E has also been successfully used to prevent threatened abortions and to treat reproductive failure in brucellosis-infected herds. But all these casuistic victory reports suffer mainly from the fact that they do not even mention the implementation of control (without treatment) and that experimental evidence of the need for vitamin E for the reproduction of cattle lambing is still lacking.

Diets for pigs do not always contain optimal quantity vitamin E, which can only be guaranteed by the addition of fishmeal and green feed. Diets made from root vegetables and skim milk or whey are poor in vitamin E. In our the most important types grain feeds (barley and corn) the vitamin E content is also not too high, since only 10% of the tocopherols present in them are biologically active?-tocopherol, i.e. vitamin E in the narrow sense. This especially applies to sprouted grain, because the tocopherol content decreases significantly during grain germination. In the future, more attention should be paid to providing vitamin E to pigs to regulate reproduction.

UDC 636.084.1:636.087.7

Translation from French by A. Zavoloki

Keywords: calves, lack of microelements, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, iron, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, zinc, selenium

Key words:calves, trace element, deficiency, diagnostics, treatment, prevention, iron, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, zinc, selenium

annotation

The article describes the reasons for the lack of trace elements in calves during growth, clinical manifestations deficiency of iron, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, zinc and selenium. The diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases are described in detail.

The article describes causes of trace element deficiency in calves during growth, clinical signs of iron, copper, cobalt, iodine, manganese, zinc and selenium deficiencies. Diagnostics, treatment and prevention described in detail.

INTRODUCTION

The condition of calves before weaning from their mothers depends on two sources that cover their needs for microelements: the liver reserves that they received from their mother at birth, and milk or its substitute, and these sources of micronutrients may not be enough.

Young animals are especially sensitive to micronutrient deficiencies; their needs increase due to intensive growth, which manifests itself more pronouncedly and in a more acute form than in adult animals. Microelements exert their effect as part of enzyme systems and participate in various metabolic processes, which are especially intense in young, rapidly growing animals. The appearance of micronutrient deficiencies in an animal depends on the intensity of growth. If the content of microelements borders on deficiency, then it can manifest itself with accelerated growth.

DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH MICROELEMENT DEFICIENCIES

Table 1 illustrates the micronutrient deficiency of cow's milk. With regard to some microelements, the calves' needs are covered exactly to the extent that the liver reserves received from the mother make it possible to compensate for their deficiency. On the other hand, the content of microelements in milk can vary depending on the mother's diet, this is especially true for iodine and selenium, the content of which is very dependent on the diet of cows. The same is true with vitamins. B 12 in milk, the content of which depends to a certain extent on the cobalt content in the mother’s body. In contrast, for iron, copper and manganese, the calf's liver stores at birth will be critical.

Table 1. Comparison of microelements content in natural cow's milk and their needs in suckling calves.

Zinc deficiency in calves depends to a certain extent on the content of this trace element in cow's milk, that is, on the presence of this trace element in the mother's body. Meanwhile, despite the fact that zinc is very well absorbed by the calf from milk, it happens that the calf subsequently exhibits symptoms of zinc deficiency, probably due to changes in the absorption of this element by the calf. Under such circumstances, it is advisable to increase the zinc content in the calf diet (up to 40 - 50 mg/kg SM).

Borderline deficiencies in copper, cobalt, zinc and selenium are commonly found in feed in France. The lack of microelements in milk for feeding growing calves is directly dependent on the housing minerals in cows. The composition of milk feed for calves must be adjusted to meet needs, while avoiding excess, because calves are very sensitive to poisoning (eg copper). French legislation limits the use of selenium to a maximum of 0.5 mg/kg SM.

SIGNS OF MICROELEMENT DEFICIENCY

Iron

Lack of iron in the body of a calf is a common condition, since milk always lacks some microelements; it (lack of iron) is associated with the feeding conditions of the cows. The shortage, however, is created by livestock breeders themselves in order to produce pale carcasses (“white calves”).

Dairy producers are now looking to add some iron to achieve some balance between anemia, light meat production (white carcasses) and maintaining a certain level of resistance in animals.

In France, legislation often changes, and the percentage of iron is within 15 mg Fe/kg S.M. In the UK it is 40 mg/kg SM, which provides better resistance in growing calves. In this case, the English market considers the resulting carcass coloring to be quite acceptable.

When anemia passes a certain limit (hematocrit 20%), animals exhibit gradual periodic loss of appetite.

Calves stop growing. At this stage, or if the anemia worsens, calves lose the ability to resist pathogens of infectious diseases, including conditionally pathogenic microflora. The mucous membranes of animals, the conjunctiva, become pale, and the calves themselves become more or less apathetic.

Copper

In adult animals, a sign of copper deficiency is loss of appetite; this symptom is rarely observed in calves; however, anemia and perversion of appetite are often observed in animals at this age. Anemia caused by copper deficiency can be distinguished from anemia caused by iron deficiency on the basis that the latter does not improve despite treatment of the anemia with iron.

Violation metabolic processes causes pathology of joints in the form of their enlargement and nodularity. In such cases, mild lameness most often occurs. Sometimes a certain rigidity of the muscles in the sacral area can cause the appearance in sick animals of an “ambling” type gait, characteristic of a dress horse. Spontaneous fractures often occur: they are always associated with mechanical injuries when jumping or running. It is necessary to pay attention to the frequency of these types of accidents, which increase sharply in a herd or in a region in which there is a copper deficiency.

The calf may experience phenomena of enzootic ataxia; it often appears soon after birth and is manifested by paralysis of first the hind limbs and then the forelimbs. The disease is caused by demyelination white matter spinal cord and central organs nervous system. The process develops relatively slowly, but irreversibly, despite the ongoing specific treatment diseases, demyelination phenomena are noticeable at autopsy.

Heart problems are very common in copper-deficient calves. They appear immediately after birth in animals born from mothers experiencing this deficiency. This early cardiac pathology differs from myopathy in that myopathy manifests itself predominantly between 1.5 and 2.5 months. life.

Mortality may be increased and calves may die unexpectedly during syncope. Calves prone to fainting have difficulty recovering, and they experience shortness of breath during the course of the disease.

Calves deficient in copper often experience diarrhea. It can also occur as a result of an imbalance in the content of other microelements, for example, with an excess of molybdenum, or simply with a lack of copper intake. Most characteristic symptom is hair discoloration. The discoloration may be well-defined or more or less diffuse (Figure 1). It is necessary to distinguish discolorations that arose as a result of crossing animals during breeding from acquired discolorations. Along with bleaching, hair may appear unevenly colored to varying degrees. Calves lacking trace elements are constantly in a state of chronic illness; their health returns to normal only after specific and effective treatment.

Vitamin B 12 or cobalt

Vitamin for suckling calf B 12 comes with milk. Once self-feeding begins, the calf can receive cobalt in the feed if its rumen flora is functioning normally.

Normally, the calf receives enough vitamin B 12 with mother's milk if her diet contains a sufficient amount of cobalt. Dairy nutrition must be changed if necessary according to vitamin content B 12.

In calves, anemia is common symptom vitamin deficiency B 12. In addition, the animal exhibits loss and perversion of appetite. Anemia does not stop after the administration of iron or copper supplements, and the emaciation of sick calves cannot be explained either by the amount of feed or the quality of the diet.

During the weaning period of calves, a sufficient intake of cobalt into the body has a very important for the formation of rumen microflora. Cobalt - important factor growth necessary for the balance of the flora.

Lack of iodine is accompanied by the appearance of goiter, hypertrophy thyroid gland caused by a lack of iodine-containing hormones.

Goiter may appear in calves at birth if their mothers were iodine deficient. Often these animals with Graves' disease will be born without hair and with swollen, very thick skin.

Palpation of the thyroid gland and comparison of its volume with the gland in presumably healthy animals makes it possible to diagnose insufficiency.

As a result of observations, it was found that thyroid healthy calves weigh approximately 6.5-6.7 grams at birth and 7.2 grams at 3 weeks of life. With goiter, its weight is 12-15 grams.

Calves lacking iodine lack vitality and die from a nonspecific infection.

Manganese

Manganese deficiency occurs relatively slowly and appears to be less common in both young and adult animals.

Various authors describe abnormalities observed at birth: weakness of the feet, arthromyodysplasia, enlarged joints, weakness and crossing of the limbs, shortening of some bones such as brachial bone. In intensively reared calves, a deficiency of manganese is observed, which is manifested by convulsive contraction of the tongue muscles and swelling on the forelimbs at the tarsal joints, which causes lameness (Fig. 2).

Zinc

Zinc deficiency is relatively common in calves in France. It usually appears suddenly and relatively early. Clinical signs of the disease in calves are quite pronounced.

Loss of appetite in calves appears within a few days if they are fed milk with insufficient zinc content, and this is also accompanied by stunted growth. The intensity of these two symptoms depends to some extent on the degree of zinc deficiency. Under such conditions, calves experience hair loss and dermatitis mainly in the limbs and face (Fig. 3). It looks like the animals have their noses in hot milk. Microerosions do not heal due to friction with surrounding objects. Scarring and healing of wounds is impossible due to the fact that they constantly become infected, despite treatment with antibiotics.

In some areas, hyperkeratosis is observed (for example, in the halter area), where skin folds may ulcerate.

Joint enlargement is common, and lameness appears periodically.

Selenium

Myopathy, usually caused by selenium deficiency, is characterized by waxy degeneration muscle tissue(Fig. 4). Depending on the location, it causes lameness, heart problems or shortness of breath.

Degeneration of the muscle musculature immediately affects the patient’s posture, which is quite characteristic: the back is concave, the tail is raised, the limbs are connected (urination position). Trembling may be visible in some muscle groups (croup and others).

The animal's breathing is short and intermittent; the diaphragm is movable. Shortness of breath explained degenerative changes in muscles involved in respiration and heart failure.

Cardiac degeneration most often quickly leads to death. Sometimes some animals survive with varying degrees of degeneration of the heart muscle, in which case their zootechnical performance deteriorates significantly.

DIAGNOSIS OF MICROELEMENT DEFICIENCIES

Clinical diagnosis

Diagnosis presents significant difficulties, because the symptoms are not specific enough; micronutrient deficiencies cause more or less mild symptoms that are not fully manifested in one animal.

Anemia is quite typical for a lack of iron in the body. If anemia does not go away despite the intake of iron from food or injections of iron supplements, then in this case a copper or vitamin deficiency is suspected AT 12.

Hair bleaching and early heart failure are fairly well characterized by copper deficiency. . Constant exhaustion is characteristic of vitamin deficiency B 12 or cobalt.

The appearance of goiter in animals is characteristic of iodine deficiency.

The clinical manifestation of manganese deficiency is not pronounced, so it is usually difficult to make a diagnosis. In more late age in calves or already in adult animals, a characteristic straightening of the hock joints occurs; at the birth of calves, arthromyodysplasia is constantly detected, which in many cases is a clinical sign specific to manganese deficiency.

Hair loss and dermatitis are relatively common with zinc deficiency . These symptoms of the disease often appear against the background of loss of appetite. Myopathy is easily identified in association with claudication, shortness of breath and cardiac disorders. In some cases, the diagnosis of muscle degeneration can also be confirmed at autopsy.

Analytical diagnostics

Analysis of feed and control over its use allows us to identify the first signs of a lack of microelements.

By consuming only milk, calves receive insufficient nutrition, therefore, if milk nutrition were not supplemented with other feeds, there would always be a risk of micronutrient deficiencies.

Micronutrient intake from feed and mineral supplements should always be analyzed in weaned calves.

Plasma test results can provide information regarding iron, copper and zinc deficiencies in the body. According to hematocrit (ratio of volumes shaped elements and blood plasma) can be judged on the level of anemia present in the animal. In classical diagnosis, the hematocrit is sufficient to diagnose anemia .

A decrease in plasma copper appears suddenly after depletion of its reserves in the liver and causes severe deficiency. Ceruloplasmin is a protein with feroxidase activity containing eight copper atoms. It contains about 80% of serum copper. A quick determination of its content using special equipment is very useful and informative.

Ceruloplasmin remains stable for a week at 20 °C and contamination does not affect its content. It is advisable to express the results obtained from studies of copper content in terms of optical density, measured in µg of copper through a direct regression equation between total copper contained in plasma and ceruloplasmin.

The inflammatory reaction in the body is supposedly capable of greatly influencing the copper content in the blood, as shown in an experiment with a fixed abscess caused by turpentine oil.

The difficulty of using this parameter in diagnostics is the danger of contamination of the sample during its receipt or analysis and, in addition, for the study it is necessary to use plasma that is not subject to hemolysis, because contained in red blood cells four times more zinc than in plasma. The interpretation of the results is presented in Table 2. Unlike copper, inflammatory reaction in the animal's body will cause a decrease in plasma zinc content and affect the test result.

The manifestation of myopathy in calves can be detected very early using glutamine oxaloacetin transaminase. An increase in the plasma content of this enzyme occurs long before the manifestation in the animal clinical signs diseases. In this case, it is important to analyze the level of glutamine pyruvic plasma transaminase in order to distinguish myopathy from liver damage (Table 2).

Creatine phosphokinase also appears very early in the plasma of calves with developing myopathy. Meanwhile, in some clinically ill calves, the content of creatinine phosphokinase returned to normal during illness. Determination of the content of this enzyme, despite its specificity and rapid appearance physiological state may not be sufficient to make a diagnosis of myopathy.

PREVENTION, TREATMENT

Table 1 shows rates recommended for suckling calves, which are also suitable for post-weaned calves. These standards coincide with the standards adopted by the Agricultural Research Council and are the average among the standards proposed by various authors. Experience has shown that the use of milk powder produced in France without added micronutrients sometimes results in clinically manifest cases, mainly deficiencies of copper, zinc or selenium. The only thing that can be done in this case is to increase the content of microelements, which will prevent the occurrence of cases of micronutrient deficiency.

table 2

Element or enzyme	Deficiency limit	Common (innate) meanings	Causes of errors
			Contamination > 150-120 Infection or inflammation > 120-150
			Contamination > 150 Infectious disease or inflammation< 80
Ceruloplasmin D.O. → µg/100 ml			Not sensitive to contamination Infectious disease or inflammation > 120-150 Plasma decomposition< 70
Transaminase G.O. Transaminase G.P.	Border of pathology

It is important to monitor the proper nutrition of the animal, and vitamins for cattle, contained in both natural products, and in special vitamin complexes produced by industry. Their growth and resistance to diseases depends on properly selected supplements and a balanced diet for animals. In this publication we will tell you in detail what vitamins to give calves, how to take them, and what the supplements affect.

Consequences for the body due to a lack of vitamin elements

a lack of useful elements – urgent problem for cattle. If the growing body no longer has enough incoming amounts useful substances, then this causes vitamin deficiency. The consequences of the disease can be chronic and incurable, which is especially dangerous for cows and calves.

In young animals, the disease causes growth retardation. In particular acute forms Vitamin deficiency leads to irreversible changes in the structure of the body of calves. For cows, the disease poses a danger during pregnancy, when the animal especially needs vitamins.

The usefulness, properties and consequences of a lack of certain vitamins can be clearly seen in the table:

If animals lack several vitamins, this may even cause sad consequences, even death. For this reason, it is important to carefully monitor the herd's diet and remember to monitor intake. vitamin supplements.

Hay is the main source of vitamins for the growth of calves. But in order for the dried grass to retain beneficial elements and bring real benefit the body, and not just a source of energy, it should be properly prepared. Here are some tips to help maintain vitamins in a cow's diet:

• if the grass takes a long time to dry under sun rays, then creatine leaves it, which promotes the growth of the calf;
• Abundant sunbathing retains vitamin D in the hay;
• the young animals are given both hay, dried in the sun, and grass, dried under a tent, simultaneously and in equal proportions;
• It is recommended to store dried food in a closed barn;
• If you store hay outdoors, then it cannot be collected in stacks and you should definitely build a shed.

Recipe for a decoction that promotes the growth of calves

A properly prepared decoction of pine needles can replace a whole complex of vitamins for the rapid growth of calves. This drink is an excellent source of many beneficial substances that maintain the animal’s vitamin balance at the proper level.

To prepare the decoction you will need 1 kilogram of pine needles, which should be placed in a large metal container. Pour five liters of boiling water over them and keep on low heat for 30 minutes. Wait until the water has cooled completely and strain using gauze. It is necessary to get rid of all particles floating in the broth.

The drink can be given to a calf starting from 2 months, because it does not contain artificial impurities. The tincture has no negative qualities, so you can give it to young animals without fear or hesitation. But you shouldn’t neglect plain water, because it is no less important for a growing body.

Should calves be given antibiotics: truths and myths

It is worth understanding that vitamins for calves are found not only in food or water. If you are seriously concerned about the development of young animals, then you can use antibiotics in for preventive purposes. Many veterinarians recommend such drugs, considering them safe and beneficial.

To accelerate the development of animals, penicillin and streptomycin are used. Medicines entering the body of calves promote the growth of bones and muscles. The advantage of antibiotics is that they help prevent diseases such as pneumonia. It often occurs in young calves during the period of weaning from their mother.

But everything related to antibiotics should be done carefully. Before injecting them into animals, you should consult a veterinarian. The doctor will tell you which medications to choose, how often to give them and adjust the dosage.

In addition to antibiotics, there are all kinds of vitamin supplements that compensate for the lack of certain components in the animal’s body and strengthen its immunity. A popular additive is Biovit-80, which accelerates growth and prevents the development of diarrhea in bulls.

Similar complexes are given to calves starting from three weeks. Some drugs help strengthen muscles and help fight viral infections, such as Tetravit and Trivit. Good complexes Supplements that promote growth are any supplements containing potassium, cobalt, iodine and macronutrients.

Rich in all kinds of components that promote rapid growth, the drug “Eleovit”, which includes vitamins A, D3, B1, B2, B6, K3, folic and pantothenic acid, nicotinamide, cyanocobalamin and biotin. However, it is recommended to use it under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Such complexes may have synthetic or plant based. You should choose them especially carefully and, best of all, on the advice of a specialist. The “Nucleopeptide” complex, which contains only natural substances, is considered a high-quality BMVD. This supplement has a beneficial effect on the digestion process, the balance of hormones and the overall functioning of the immune system.

Another good drug– “Gavryusha” complex, which helps maintain the vitamin balance in the body of young bulls. Its composition is rich in components such as zinc, cobalt, iodine, manganese, copper and iron. It is recommended to use after the calf is 3 weeks old, as an additive to the main feed.

Growth promoting components are present in many beneficial products that are recommended for feeding to calves. In addition to the above-mentioned complexes, a beneficial effect on the growing body has fish fat and feed yeast.

Secrets of proper feeding

Of course, vitamin supplements and antibiotic injections can solve the problem with a lack of useful elements. But an injection is always stressful for the body, and it’s not always possible to “feed” pills to a young calf. That's why veterinarians It is recommended to accustom calves to a balanced diet from a very early age.

If you do everything correctly, then vitamin deficiency does not threaten animals even without specialized medications. The main thing is to ensure that calves receive the daily requirement of all vitamins.

To correctly calculate the amount of vitamins, you need to know their daily intake:

• 30,000 – 40,000 IU per day is the norm of vitamin “A” for a calf;
• daily requirement of vitamin “D” is from 3000 to 4000 IU per day;
• Vitamin “E” is recommended in an amount of 30–40 IU per day.

Remember that a calf gains from 650 to 850 grams of weight per day.

The importance of mineral feeds in the development of young animals

For the development of calves, not only vitamins are necessary, but also other useful substances that affect the growth activity of animals. Special attention It is worth paying attention to phosphorus, calcium and potassium. If you give your herd high-quality hay and milk, then there will be no shortage of these elements.

But, if calves still begin to experience a deficiency of these substances, then specialized supplements can be used, which are introduced into the animal’s diet. Bone meal is considered beneficial for young animals. However, it is not able to fully satisfy the body's need for all mineral elements. It is best if you prepare a mixture of useful supplements, rather than using just one thing.

A good option for replenishing the deficiency in the body of calves mineral elements is a mixture of crushed chalk, table salt And bone meal, in proportions 15:5:10. It is allowed to give to animals from the 5th day of life.

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Every farmer knows how important role have vitamins and mineral complexes in the diet of cows and calves. Vitamins are used to ensure normal growth and healthy comprehensive development animal. They are highly active at a special biological level, and also help to establish good nutrient metabolism in the calf’s body.

If the calf's body for a long time does not receive enough vitamins, an unpleasant illness such as vitamin deficiency may occur. That is, at the moment when there is an acute lack of vitamins, hidden inflammatory processes, which are subsequently able to acquire chronic form. Vitamin deficiency, in turn, can cause not only stunted growth of young animals, but also a decrease in the level of productivity, as well as a predisposition to various diseases.

Today, experts identify about three dozen vitamins, the intake of which will help avoid the occurrence of vitamin deficiency in young animals. In order to ensure rapid metabolism in the body, it is recommended to provide vitamin and mineral feed. In practice, when preparing a diet, it is necessary to comply with the norms for introducing vitamins A, D, E, B into the diet.

If we talk about the role of vitamin A, it has great importance for the growth of young animals, is able to provide normal condition mucous membranes, support the functioning of the retina in good condition. With a lack of vitamin A, not only vitamin deficiency can occur, but also inflammation of the eyes, some body functions decrease, and even coordination of movements can be impaired. Large amounts of this vitamin are found in food plant origin, in carrots, legumes, silage, hay, corn.

The body can accumulate vitamins of group A. The health of newborn calves largely depends on the availability of vitamins in their diet. Vitamin deficiency also overcomes pregnant cows at the end of the stall period, as a result of which weak calves are born. Young animals have a special need for nutrients when the air temperature is very high, as well as when consuming highly concentrated feed. The carotene rate is calculated per 1 feed. units diet.

The need for vitamin D in calves is also quite high, because it establishes proper phosphorus-calcium metabolism. Vitamin deficiency can provoke the appearance of rickets, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal problems in calves and other troubles. The main sources of this vitamin for young animals are bean hay and silage. Contains fish oil in large quantities. If there is a lack of vitamin D, walking animals in sunny weather helps, and in cold period they are heated under special lamps. The rate of consumption of this vitamin by calves is about 10 - 15 thousand IU. To avoid the problem of vitamin deficiency, farmers should add other vitamins for calves to the daily diet.

Vitamin food

Schemes for raising high-quality cows require early habituation to good hay, root crops, silage and concentrates. If you properly organize the calf’s diet, it will be able to avoid vitamin deficiency and receive a portion of everything necessary for normal height vitamins Upon reaching 3 months, the baby is able to eat about 3 kg of hay, 2 kg of root vegetables and 1 kg of concentrates.

IN milk period It is recommended to feed animals starter feed. If this is not possible, you can offer a mixture of grain feeds and oatmeal.
There are different schemes for feeding young animals, which provide for the intake of all necessary groups vitamins

Good quality silage and succulent feed can be given to children with one month old. This will make it possible to establish a normal digestion process and have a positive effect on the animals’ appetite.

When introducing special vitamin complexes, you should know that the norm of vitamin A for calves is from 30,000 to 40,000 IU per day, vitamin D - from 3000 to 4000 IU per day and 200 - 300 IU per day of vitamin E. After the end of the milk feeding phase, the diet of young animals should be changed as follows so that it contains juicy, rough and green food. The average daily growth of an animal during this period should be about 650 - 850 g. Vitamin hay is offered from the 5th day of life.

It is mowed in the morning and dried for about two hours. It's useful to give oatmeal jelly besides oatmeal. It is prepared by pouring 1 kg of oatmeal into 2.5 liters hot water, leave for about half an hour, squeeze out using a sieve and boil until it thickens. They give 100 - 200 g per day (if the baby has reached the age of 6 - 11 days), by the 45th day the norm of its intake can be 2400 g. As a good vitamin supplement that will help prevent vitamin deficiency, it is recommended to give hay infusion.

To prepare it, take 1 kg of chopped hay, add 5 liters of hot boiled water and let it brew, then filter, add 1 g of salt per liter of infusion. It should be drunk with or without milk. In the first days of life, young animals are offered about 200 ml per day; as the animals grow, this dose increases over time to 5 liters per day.

If root vegetables (such as carrots) are given from one month of age, and potatoes from 6 weeks of age, then concentrated feed will be included in the animal’s diet no earlier than 10–12 days from birth. From whole grain They cook porridge, to which you can add milk, and offer crushed grains in the form of mash. After 25 or more days from the moment the baby is born, chewing gum will appear in his daily menu, which will become an indicator normal operation Gastrointestinal tract.

Mineral feed

A young growing body urgently needs mineral components such as phosphorus and potassium. If you give your baby milk and hay good quality in sufficient quantities, then his body will receive everything vital important substances from these types of food, which is an excellent prevention of vitamin deficiency. If this amount of feed cannot cover all the body’s needs for phosphorus and calcium, additional mineral supplementation may be required.

One of best sources Experts consider bone meal to be these beneficial substances. Chalk can only partially replace it in an animal’s daily diet, since it cannot boast of the presence of phosphorus in its composition. good mineral fertilizer It is considered a mixture of ground chalk, table salt and bone meal. They must be taken in 15, 5 and 10 g, respectively. This feeding should be added to concentrates and given to the animal from 5-7 days of life, 10 g per day, from 35 days - 20 g, until 4-6 months - 30 g per day.

Video “Vitamins for calves”

In the recording, a man shares his experience of using vitamin and mineral supplements and talks about what can happen to a cow if she experiences vitamin and mineral starvation.

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Basics of balanced feeding of calves

The diet should contain foods and vitamins that contribute to rapid growth And harmonious development calves How to properly organize feeding calves?

Free-range grazing or providing a diet of concentrated feed does not provide the animal’s body with all the necessary elements, and therefore vitamins for cattle must remain mandatory elements diet at any time. Vitamins and minerals must be supplied to the body additionally even when providing a balanced diet - this is important to ensure high livestock productivity and fertility. Everything existing vitamins are not required by the body of cattle; many of them are produced during the digestion process by the stomach and intestines of animals.

In the absence of vitamin supplements, phenomena such as:

• Decreased reproductive abilities of animals, low sex drive,
• Death of livestock, especially young animals,
• Decreased immunity, susceptibility to a number of diseases.

Vitamin deficiency leads to exacerbation chronic diseases, the emergence of new diseases in the herd, and a decrease in growth rates. Animals are especially susceptible to such problems in winter; dry cows and highly reproductive animals suffer. Problems arise in cows with high lactation, which quickly use up body reserves, and in pregnant cows, which have increased loads. Absence sunlight and fresh grass quickly affects the condition of their body. Signs of vitamin deficiency may include deterioration of the eyes, inflammation, and problems with animal coordination. In cows, ovarian function decreases; in bulls, spermatogenesis is impaired or slowed down.

The solution to the problem is purchasing vitamins

In order not to encounter diseases, to obtain healthy and numerous offspring, and high milk yields, it is necessary to use vitamin preparations, intended for cattle - in the indicated dosages, using them in the necessary courses. It is worth remembering the need to strictly adhere to doses, since an overdose of vitamins can be dangerous and even fatal.

The most important vitamins for cattle are vitamins A, D, B12, E. Don’t forget about mineral products, which are also required by every animal. Question of selection essential vitamins solve combined complexes that include all necessary elements in the right ratio. Choosing a quality complex and its use will help maintain animal health and eliminate negative effects, which are observed with vitamin deficiency.

It is worth remembering that young animals and adult animals have different needs, and pregnant or high-yielding cows may have special requirements for vitamin and mineral complexes. Modern manufacturers take this factor into account when offering livestock farmers wide range a variety of additives and products, including specialized ones designed for a specific age or characteristics of the animal.

Vitamins and minerals for cattle in our company

When faced with the need to purchase vitamins for cattle, pay attention to our range. We offer a wide range of options, among which you will find the optimal solution. We provide our customers with profitable pricing policy, prices always remain within a reasonable range. The products are provided exclusively of high quality, time-tested and tested by our specialists. We provide delivery and convenient service, and in addition, if necessary, you can get advice on choosing. Contact us to purchase and receive the best means no overpayments!

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