As we welcome the arrival of spring, it is the ideal time to remind your clients the importance of trace mineral nutrition in their livestock nutritional program.

Trace minerals, such as selenium and vitamin B12 are essential for normal health and productivity.

They act as the keys that assist in the utilisation of energy and protein within the body,” says Dr Rick White, technical director of Elanco Animal Health. “As such they are important for supporting growth, wool and milk production, as well as fertility and immunity.

“The exceptional winter rainfall received in the eastern states recently has accelerated grass and clover growth over the winter months. The downside of this is trace mineral availability can become depleted in the lush pasture and result in production-limiting deficiencies in grazing stock.

“It’s certainly apparent that these seasonal conditions are contributing to an increase in selenium deficiency in recent months.”

Dr White said cases of both selenium and vitamin B12 deficiencies are more common in regions where selenium and cobalt are deficient in soils, including areas with high rainfall and granite soils, limestone country with higher pH soils, intensively cropped land, and improved pastures.

“Interestingly, our continued blood test monitoring over the last few years has also identified some new areas of selenium deficiency which were not previously thought to be deficient country,” Dr White said.

“It’s also important to note that deficiencies can occur when animals are under prolonged periods of stress or have higher requirements for trace minerals, such as during times of rapid growth in young stock, or at lambing or calving.

“Deficiencies can present either as overt clinical disease or, more commonly, sub-clinical disease with less obvious signs. This means your clients’ herds would be underperforming in terms of productivity and reproduction parameters.

“If clinical disease is present, this is often the ‘tip of the iceberg’ with many more animals likely to be deficient and not showing obvious signs.”

The common clinical signs of selenium and vitamin B12 deficiency include:

Dr White said the first step towards identifying if a selenium or vitamin B12 deficiency is present is to confirm their status. “Diagnostic blood tests can be used to determine if, and when supplementation is required for selenium – it’s simple and accurate and importantly, ensures you don’t over supplement stock.

“For Vitamin B12, a liver biopsy or collection of liver samples are more accurate ways to determine levels. A treatment trial is an alternative way to indicate a likely deficiency, where animals suspected of deficiency are treated and their response observed. (As Vitamin B12 is very safe and cost effective, there is no harm in dosing animals which are not deficient).

“The season we’re seeing now is really highlighting the importance of trace mineral monitoring and supplementation, and this is translating into greater demand for appropriate supplementation. The growing market value of stock is also providing a strong incentive to producers to address any underlying deficiencies to optimise stock performance,” Dr White said.

Supplementing deficient herds with selenium has been shown to vastly improve production output and use of farm inputs. An MLA review of cattle supplementation in deficient areas showed an impressive benefit to cost ratio of between 3:1 and 18:1, depending on the trial site. Therefore, understanding and managing essential selenium levels is an important profit driver for producers.

“If your client requires selenium supplementation for their sheep or cattle, you have the option of shorter acting or longer acting treatments depending on the extent of deficiency,” Dr White said. “A shorter acting selenium can be provided in Cobalife VB12 Plus Selenium, which has the added benefit of Vitamin B12 in it.

“A longer acting selenium can be conveniently provided by using Selovin LA, containing barium selenate. Selovin LA slowly releases selenium over time to supplement cattle for up to 12 months and sheep for up to 18 months.

“Selovin LA provides cost effective management of selenium deficiency for livestock, in a convenient and safe form due to its slow release of selenium following administration.”

If selenium supplementation is not required, Dr White said Vitamin B12 can simply be supplemented with Cobalife VB12. Cobalife VB12 contains hydroxocobalamin, which is an effective and safe Vitamin B12 supplement that can be administered to both sheep and cattle. It is recommended to treat whenever stock are being handled, including weaning, pre-joining and pre-lambing or calving to meet periods of increased demand.

"Always read and follow label directions for best results with these treatments,” Dr White said.