Author : Mohammad Arifin Amril

Summary : This complete mineral supplementation experiment on breeding cattle was conducted on Themeda-Imperata pasture on 25 February - 23 September 1979 at Diamond Ace Ranch in Singupan, Burgos, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Pregnancy rate, mineral status of forage and blood serum, and mineral consumption were evaluated. American Brahman crossbred cows and heifers and purebred Brahman bulls were randomly devided into two groups consisting of Treatment 1 (38 cows and heifers and 3 bulls) and Treatment II (40 cows and heifers and 3 bulls). Treatment 1 samples were grazed on pasture at 0.22 A.U./ha stocking rate supplemented with common salt. Treatment II samples were grazed on pasture at 0.23 A.U./ha stocking rate supplemented with a complete mineral mixture consisting of 40 percent bone meal; 57.72 percent common salt, 0.008 percent CoSO (subscript 4), 0.165 percent ZnO, 0.288 percent MnSO (subscript 4), 0.125 percent CuSO (subscript 4), 0.026 percent KIO (subscript 3), and 1.24 percent FeSO (subscript 4). Continuous grazing was practiced throughout the experiment. Common salt and complete mineral supplement were offered AD LIB in sheltered mineral boxes. Hand-plucked forage and blood serum analyses at the start of the experiment showed deficiency in Ca, P, Cu, and Zn. Forage analyses showed deficiency in Na and K, Fe and Mn were higher than the recommended requirement and blood serum analyses showed a normal Mg level. Results showed that animals in body treatments did not differ significantly in blood serum Ca, Mg, Cu and Zn. The complete mineral supplementation significantly increased (P<.01) blood serum P but the increase depended on the prevailing season. Serum P level of Treatment II animals in the early (June) and late (September) rainy seasons were higher than the critical deficiency level (5.29 and 4.67 vs 4.5 mg/100) and were significantly higher (P<.05) than blood serum P level of Treatment 1 animals in the early, late rainy, and dry (March) seasons (3.96, 3.28 and 1.95 mg/100 ml, respectively.