By Corissa Wilcox, AAg, Livestock and Feed Extension Specialist, Swift Current
March 2025
Trace minerals and vitamins are essential for production, growth, fertility and numerous other functions in livestock. Providing minerals and vitamins as a free-choice supplement is convenient and can be cost-effective. One drawback to the free-choice system is that individual intake can be highly variable. Furthermore, stress events and nutritional challenges can deplete trace mineral and vitamin stores, causing deficiencies. Providing injectable trace mineral and vitamin supplements may be an effective short-term strategy to improve mineral/vitamin levels, health and performance of beef cattle. Additionally, providing injectable supplements may be convenient when other injections are being administered and can reduce labour.
grazing on pasture.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is found in fresh, growing forages but the amount of vitamin A in stored feed decreases over time. Deficiencies in vitamin A can cause reduced fertility, skeletal malformations, impaired fetal development, retained placentas and an increased incidence of weak calves. Injectable vitamin A products can be used to supplement cows eight weeks prior to calving.
Vitamin B12
Usually, vitamin B12 does not require additional supplementation for beef cattle since cobalt is added to most salt supplements. Cobalt synthesizes vitamin B12, which is essential for the nervous system, growth and producing red blood cells. Deficiencies in vitamin B12 may lead cattle to appear unthrifty or display anemia. Providing an injectable vitamin B12 supplement has been noted to show a quick response and last up to eight weeks.
Vitamin E and Selenium
Vitamin E is important for growth, immunity, and the function of the muscle and nervous systems. Deficiencies may cause nutritional muscular dystrophy (white muscle disease) and be attributed to higher rates of mastitis and retained placentas. Stored forage does not have adequate vitamin E levels to meet animal requirements, and, in a free-choice system, intake may be below requirements. Injectable vitamin E products also contain selenium as they have a synergistic relationship when metabolized. Injection of vitamin E with selenium is recommended four weeks prior to calving and should be correctly diagnosed as a deficiency prior to use.
Multi-mineral
A multi-mineral injectable product is registered in Canada and contains copper, manganese, zinc and selenium. Multi-mineral injectable supplements contain chelated trace minerals, which increase absorption and availability of minerals. Drought conditions can drastically reduce forage and water quality, and an injectable multi-mineral supplement may be a viable option to support mineral status when minerals are provided free-choice. It is important to consider all mineral supplements that are being provided, as toxicities may occur if trace minerals exceed recommended intake levels, especially copper and selenium.
Copper
Injectable copper supplements are a good option if there is a known copper deficiency and other trace minerals are not deficient. Antagonists, such as sulfates, molybdenum and iron can bind to copper, preventing absorption. It may be more appropriate to provide a copper supplement versus a multi-mineral injectable supplement when selenium is already being supplemented and/or selenium levels in other feed sources are high. Sometimes this can occur when there is more selenium present in the soil, which can lead to elevated levels in the forages.
The Canadian Cow-Calf Surveillance Network has been a cornerstone in helping identify trace mineral deficiencies in beef cattle herds in western Canada. Understanding where your herd is located geographically can be useful when monitoring herd health and understanding symptoms of trace mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
Takeaways
- The use of injectable products can help prevent and correct deficiencies in a short period of time when a quick solution is required.
- Providing injectable trace mineral and vitamin supplements does not replace a daily mineral/vitamin program.
- Using injectable products may cause abscesses or lesions, therefore proper administration procedures should be used.
Factors related to diet, water sources and management practices should be considered when considering the use of injectable trace mineral and vitamin products. A licensed veterinarian, nutritionist and regional livestock and feed extension specialist can help provide expertise related to mineral nutrition and supplementation options. For more information about mineral supplementation, contact your nearest livestock and feed extension specialist by calling the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.