Mineral nutrition of the beef cow to impact immunologic response

Abstract

The role of minerals in beef cattle diets continues to be a strong area of interest for producers, veterinarians and scientists. Minerals are required for a variety of metabolic functions including the immune system's response to pathogenic challenges. Maintaining the immune response through proper mineral supplementation may have a positive impact on herd health and ultimately, profitability of cow-calf operations. However, mineral supplementation strategies quickly become complex because of differences in forage mineral bioavailability, interactions among minerals which can inhibit mineral absorption, and difficulty in easily assessing cow mineral status. The effects of copper, zinc, cobalt and chromium on the immune system are the primary focus of this paper.