What Are The Nutritional Requirements Of Charolais Cattle?

Diet usually comprises macro and micronutrients, together forming a balanced diet. Like humans, even cattle require certain micronutrients which maintain their wear & tear. Cattle feed on high-quality hay and grass to maintain good health.

There are many different types of feed for cattle, including corn, soybeans, wheat and barley. In addition to these grains, some supplements can be given to cattle to help them grow faster or improve their health. Nutrition for cattle can be defined under three parts – according to lifecycle, gender, and purpose of breeding. 

There is a lot of information on the internet about cattle nutrition and supplements, but it can be hard to find accurate information. This article will give you a general overview of cattle nutrition and supplements, as well as some important aspects of their lifecycle.

Nutrition Of Charolais Show Cattle 

The cattle life cycle has these five stages – Birth, Juvenile, Pregnancy, Lactation and Weaning. All these phases have different nutritional and supplement requirements. We have stated a few essential micronutrients here which play an integral role in cattle nutrition. For example –

Magnesium – 

Magnesium is essential to maintain nerve endings. Normally cattle owners don’t encounter such conditions. But if the cattle are suffering from magnesium deficiency excitability, anorexia, hyperemia, and frothing at the mouth are seen. The recommended magnesium intake for cattle is 28-56 g/head/day.

Iodine – 

Iodine is a key element in the hormone thyroxine, which regulates the body’s functions and growth. It also helps to catalyze various other enzymes.

Selenium – 

Selenium catalyzes the enzyme glutathione peroxidase that breaks down the peroxides. Thus eliminates harmful substances from the body by acting as an antioxidant. Deficiency of selenium leads to white muscle disease in the calf due to degeneration of skeletal & heart muscles. The recommended selenium intake for cattle is 3mg/head/day.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundantly found mineral in cattle, followed by phosphorus. Usually, cattle don’t come across calcium and phosphorus deficiency, but if they are in low amounts, they can lead to severe problems. Some of these problems include – osteoporosis, rickets, osteomalacia and metabolic bone disease. These minerals play an important role in maintaining bone mass and growth rate.

Vitamins

Vitamin B & VItamin C are water soluble vitamins, so it is essential to include in their routine diet. Usually Vitamin A and Vitamin D are stored in their body and until the symptoms show up it is difficult to detect the deficiency.

Apart from these, there are various other micronutrients like sodium , potassium , copper, cobalt, vitamins, etc. The list is huge and one can take advice from the veterinary doctors or from your nearby cattle company selling charolais cattle.

If your cattle set out for grazing, they get most of these micronutrients through their food. But if you are feeding them in your pen, you might need to provide them with additional supplements. Because during food processing some of the nutrients might get destroyed. Additional supplements are available in the market in the form of packets, which you can mix with their feed. However, it is difficult to figure out whether your cattle are suffering from deficiency or not until they show symptoms. 

Define Your Purpose For Breeding Charolais Cattle

You would need to define your purpose for breeding the cattle. Is it for the beef industry or for reproduction purposes? Because in the case of breeding for mass, you would focus more on the proteins than the overall development.  

Feeds containing adequate amounts of protein promote good health by supporting milk production, muscle growth, bone growth, and energy metabolism. Protein is also required for the repair and maintenance of tissues. High-quality protein feeds include grains such as corn, barley or sorghum; grasses such as alfalfa; legumes; soybeans; cottonseed meal; wheat middlings; distillers grains with solubles (DDGS); milk replacer with concentrate (MRP); molasses; fish meal and other animal by-products including blood meals from slaughterhouses or dairy farms.

Although beef cattle nutrition is a complex subject. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. It is important to understand how the different components of nutrition interact with the animal’s nutritional status to ensure that you are meeting the needs of your cow or bull.

Although these are a handful of points but would be helpful for the beginners to get an overview. If you are planning to get cattle services for your charolais cattle in Texas, you should stop by Kocurek Cattle, Texas. Not just cattle services, we also have premium quality cattle breeds for you, so pick your favorite breed and bring them home. Contact us at (979) 200-8475 or visit our website.