Trace Elements Play Critical Role in Dairy Herd Health and Productivity

Trace elements are the ‘invisible fence at the top of the cliff’ that can protect a dairy herd’s health and ensure cows meet their full production potential.

That’s according to SealesWinslow nutrition extension specialist Simon Butler.  He says while trace elements play a vital role in herd health and production, they can be tricky to manage.

The five main trace element deficiencies identified in New Zealand pastoral systems are copper, zinc, cobalt, selenium and iodine.

Serious Consequences of Deficiencies

And the cost of not having enough of these five trace elements in the cow’s diet can be very high.

“Serious effects can include elevated empty rate and/or in-calf rate, lost days in milk, impaired herd genetic improvement and reduced longevity.  The serious financial impacts on productivity and profitability from these potential consequences are well documented,” says Simon Butler. 

He points out that, longer term, sub-clinical deficiencies in trace elements such as iodine, zinc and cobalt can go unnoticed.  “But if these shortages become the norm in your herd, the result can be significant negative effects on energy metabolism, impacting growth and milking performance in the background,” he says.

Therefore, the potential financial risk of not getting your trace element balanced for your herd is worth the time and investment to get it right.

The Role of Trace Elements

“Trace elements can all be difficult to provide to cows solely through a pastoral diet, as their levels can vary significantly by pasture, by season and by region.

“The functions of these trace elements broadly fall into three categories – reproductive performance, energy metabolism and production, and immune support. These three drivers are key determinants of a dairy herd’s overall performance,” says Simon.

Identifying whether your herd is deficient in these vital elements is not an easy task.

Today’s high performance, high-BW dairy herds have set a new benchmark based on their size and performance.   There is a significant gap between traditional trace element standards, set many years ago, and the demands of our modern herd sizes and productivity levels.

“Trace element demands for modern, high performing dairy stock are now many times higher than the needs of historic New Zealand animals and production systems.

“We really need to be addressing this critical issue of trace element deficiency if we want to see our herds perform at their highest levels,” cautions Simon.

Trace Element Detection Methods

Simon says at its simplest, identifying the levels of the trace elements in your pasture can be done through an herbage test.

“If your levels for the five key trace elements are at the lower end of medium, it’s a clear sign that pasture levels are deficient in trace elements, and your cows won’t be getting what they need.

“Herbage testing can identify particularly deficient pasture Additionally, secondary deficiencies can occur due to the presence of elements such as sulfur and molybdenum in soil, or during periods of high soil iron ingestion such as grazing winter crops.”

Looking at the cows themselves, a blood test is a good, non-invasive option to get a snapshot of her status.

A liver test takes it a step further, providing a reliable way to establish the herd’s base line trace element levels. However, the biopsy process can be stressful for healthy cows.

“I tend to recommend taking liver biopsies from cows being sent to the works at this time of year. However, those cows may not be the most representative sample of your herd,” says Simon.

“Combining liver and blood tests, however, can help identify most any subclinical deficiencies.”

Risks of Defensive Solutions

When addressing a trace element deficiency, it can be tempting to opt for a fertiliser-based approach.

But Simon cautions this can result in inconsistent pasture uptake, high costs, potential toxicity risks, and limited effectiveness, typically lasting only 100-200 days.

For cows in serious need of trace elements, some farms opt for an immediate solution – the “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff” approach – which involves remedial applications, such as injections or medications to quickly boost levels, such as a copper injection.

“With this approach, toxicity is a risk.  Plus, by the time your herd has serious deficiencies, the result has already impacted production.”

A Little, Often is Best

He says, “The best, proactive solution is nutritional supplementation – it is the ‘fence at the top of the health cliff’ approach. Giving cows a little of what they need, often helps keep the herd healthy and performing at its best.”

Keeping the daily supplementation low minimises the risk of toxicity while also being more cost effective than a one-off, high-dose remedial approach.

SealesWinslow offers farmers products that allow for consistency, affordability and low risk of toxicity. Its Micromax range, for example, offers an inline water delivery solution tailored to five different regions around the country.

The company’s pelletised feed range also provides an option for farms with in-shed feeding systems.  Additionally, molasses blocks containing essential trace elements are ideal for young stock and run off blocks.

“These SealesWinslow products are backed by a team of experienced, qualified animal nutrition specialists who help our farmers with advice on identifying deficiencies and finding the best way to address them.”