Community Corner
Soule: The Chemistry of Cattle
Here's how to keep a calf healthy. It's not what you think.
The yearlings crowded around the pan, butting each other for the best spot. You’d think the pan contained yummy grain, but I had filled it with course red granules of minerals instead. Cattle, just like humans, need minerals to survive, and the yearling herd had been without salt for a few days.
My cattle get seven of the ten minerals they need by eating hay or grass, but that diet is deficient in copper, zinc, and selenium. Without minerals, cows may lose their appetites, their hooves may deteriorate, and in extreme cases, they can die. Bottom line: Cattle perform better and utilize feed more efficiently with minerals in their diet.
About 15 years ago, one of my 4-month-old calves seemed sluggish but was otherwise healthy. A few days later, he was dead, with his distressed mom standing over him. Devastated, I called the vet, who, without many costly tests, could not determine a cause of death. The next year another calf died in the same way.
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Carole Soule's book, "Yes, I Name Them," will be available on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at Gibson's https://www.gibsonsbookstore.com/book/9798988462507. She is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, N.H., where she raises beef and shares the joys of her farm with kids and adults. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com.
