What vitamins are used to enhance growth and increase milk volume in cattle

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Cow vitamins are essential for the growth of the animal. Inexperienced pastoralists may consider that good housing conditions and comprehensive nutrition (or grazing) are enough for cattle to develop, grow quickly and give sufficient volumes of milk. But how surprised they are when such a utopia does not happen, and farming suffers more and more losses over time.

Vitamins for cows

And all because, in addition to this, it is necessary to add vitamins for livestock to the diet of dairy cows. There are trace elements with different purposes, before using any vitamins, you need to know how and in what dose to introduce them, at what age and at what period.

The value of fortification of cattle

Metabolic processes in cattle are not always able to ensure the supply of the required amount of trace elements, therefore, vitamin supplements are simply necessary for the animal. To maintain health and active milk production, farmers use special preparations that ensure healthy body activity.

Complex nutrition cannot provide the animal body with all the necessary substances that are responsible for vital processes, reproductive function, and animal productivity. To ensure the healthy functionality of the body, it is necessary to give drinking vitamins to the animal. However, it is far from all year round that cattle really need microelements, since in the warm season the animal's body is able to replenish the reserves of nutrients and microelements itself. It is necessary to carry out fortification in winter, since it is in winter that cattle lacks the sun and fresh grass. Birds also require a vitamin complex in winter, no less than cattle. Fattening bulls are also advised to keep on a special diet and give them special preparations for growth and weight gain.

Lack of vitamins is fraught with negative consequences for pastoralists.

Their wards stop growing, young animals begin to eat poorly, and dairy cows bring little milk. Animal immunity falls, mortality among young individuals rises. The reproductive function fades into the background or disappears altogether.

In addition, vitamin deficiency causes many other problems:

1. Slowing down or stopping growth. Avitaminosis in calves and heifers manifests itself in a slowdown in development, disproportionate growth of limbs and malfunctioning of protective functions.
2. Decline in productivity. Vitamins support lactation of dairy animals, without them, the productivity of livestock is halved. Avitaminosis leads to a decrease in the muscle mass of species grown for slaughter.
3. Chronic diseases. Weak immunity, caused by a lack of trace elements, becomes the cause of a number of dangerous diseases of the animal.
4. Reproductive problems. Avitaminosis causes disturbances in the work of the genital organs in cows, in bulls the ability to fertilize is lost.

When raising livestock, remember that there are a number of vitamins for cattle that must be included in the diet. Moreover, in addition to the fortified feed, microelements are injected intramuscularly. Particular attention should be paid to pregnant individuals, animals after childbirth, young and fattening bulls.

Vitamin A

The main source of vitamin A is vegetable feed. However, if you familiarize yourself with the composition of such feeds, you will not find vitamin A there. Instead, it contains carotene, which gets converted to vitamin A when it gets on the intestinal wall.

The presence of a vitamin in the body determines the passage of processes inside cells, their interaction, and formation in tissue. Eye health is also directly related to vitamin A. An artificial nutrient is essential for dairy cows. With a lack of a trace element, the following is observed:

• inflammation of the eyes and skin around them;
• problems with coordination of movements;
• reproduction problems in livestock;
• loss of reproductive function of sperm in bulls.

Young animals and cows that produce large amounts of milk at a time usually suffer from vitamin A deficiency. The animal's body accumulates a trace element, and, if necessary, uses its reserves. The more lactation and the volume of milk that a cow gives, the more vitamin should be added to the cattle diet.

Lack of vitamin A after calving is fraught with health problems not only for the mother herself, but also for the calf. In the cold season, when the livestock ration does not contain fresh grass, the amount of the element is sharply reduced. A calf born in winter has a significantly less chance of survival than a calf born at another time, therefore it is recommended to inject the vitamin intramuscularly. However, it is important to keep in mind that an overdose of an element in the body of livestock leads to serious poisoning, therefore it is important to consult a veterinarian before starting fortification.

Vitamin D

Vitamin promotes the growth of the animal, and its deficiency can cause rickets in calves and young livestock. Vitamin D supplementation in the diet helps the body absorb calcium. With a lack of a trace element, the following is observed:

• loss of teeth in calves;
• a riot of cattle;
• the development of rickets;
• loss of appetite and disturbances in the digestive system of young animals.

Usually, vitamin deficiency is observed in cows with high milk production, which is explained by the accelerated metabolism during milk production. Feeding cows with vitamin D increases milk production and lactation, and young animals experience an accelerated growth.

Vitamin D is found in plant foods, and is also produced in the body under ultraviolet light (sunlight), so in summer animals grow more actively and give more milk.

To naturally enrich the body with this trace element, walk your livestock more often. It is especially important to do this in winter and early spring. It is also possible to increase the content of this element in an artificial way: with the help of ultraviolet lamps, feed additives and injections. However, such actions can only be done on the recommendation of a veterinarian, so you should first consult with him.

Vitamin B12

Cyanocobalamin directly affects the circulatory system, hematopoiesis, blood density and color. The deficiency of the element causes anemia and growth retardation in calves. The appearance of vitamin deficiency is associated with dysfunction of digestion, poor absorption of nutrients by the walls of the stomach. With a deficiency of vitamin B12, there is:

• loss of appetite;
• exuberance, increased activity;
• thinness, emaciation;
• eczema of the skin;
• coordination problems;
• violation of reproductive function;
• birth of weak or dead young.

Since the symptoms of cyanocobalamin deficiency are similar to the symptoms of deficiency of other vitamins for cattle, it is almost impossible to determine this type of vitamin deficiency on your own.For diagnosis, you need to contact a veterinarian. For treatment, intramuscular injections or special feeds and additives to them are usually prescribed. When the body is enriched with a microelement, the animal gains muscle mass, which is especially useful for meat breeds. Vitamin B12 supplements are also needed by pregnant cows to give birth to healthy calves.

Vitamin E

The trace element regulates the work of all internal organs. It is he who is responsible for the regulation of metabolism and fat, reproductive function, the correct functioning of the ovaries in cows, metabolic processes in the uterine mucosa. With a deficiency of the element, the animal cannot become pregnant, bear and give birth to a healthy offspring. In the early stages of pregnancy in cattle, with a lack of vitamin E, embryo resorption is even possible, which is otherwise called hidden abortion.

Young animals show a slowdown in growth and development, lack of weight, and emaciation. If the calf's body does not receive a trace element for a long time, the muscles atrophy, paralysis appears, and the animal may limp. There are problems with the heart, circulatory system, blood vessels.

With vitamin E deficiency, bull sperm loses the ability to fertilize. To replenish the reserves of a trace element in the body, artificial additives are used, which are prescribed by a veterinarian. The best effect is provided by an oil concentrate - trivitamin.

Useful elements

Nutrition and proper care plays an important role, but vitamins and a specialized complex are still indispensable. In addition to vitamins for growth and high lactation, other elements are needed:

1. Protein. Protein is essential for the development and growth of an animal. The main function of protein is construction. Cell organelles, blood vessels and tendons are built from it. With a protein deficiency, the cow loses its reproductive function, productivity and the amount of milk decreases sharply, immunity falls. Calves have a tendency to disease, growth slows down, limbs develop incorrectly.
2. Copper. The diet of livestock should contain feed containing copper. If this substance is in short supply, cattle lose their appetite and eat poorly. As a result, the animal suffers from anemia, its muscle mass decreases, and its taste buds fail. In especially severe cases, there is a change in the color of the coat, its loss. The animal's hemoglobin falls, the number of red blood cells decreases. If copper does not appear in the diet further, the animal stops giving milk, loses its ability to reproduce.
3. Iodine. Vitamins for cows for milk also play a special role in the development of livestock. The fat content of cow's milk directly depends on the amount of iodine in the individual's body. With its deficiency, milk becomes fat-free, lactation is reduced to a minimum, and the ability to reproduce is lost. Pregnant cows have miscarriages (including latent ones, when the fetus is absorbed in the womb), the birth of calves ahead of schedule. The litter is usually weak, does not survive.
4. Manganese. The level of manganese in the body has an impact on the animal's reproduction. Its lack leads to the inability of the cow to conceive and bear calves. In calves, it manifests itself as a slowdown in growth, late puberty, and rapid weight gain. Fat deposits cause limb deformation.
5. Salt. Salt affects the work of the whole body of cattle, and its concentration determines the healthy development of the animal. Salt helps proteins to be absorbed. Deficiency of the mineral leads to a deterioration in appetite, refusal to eat, a decrease in lactation and the amount of milk per milking, impaired reproduction, and a decrease in muscle mass.

Conclusion

Besides grooming and a balanced diet, cows need special vitamins for cattle for growth and lactation. Vitamin A is used to increase the productivity of dairy cows, and vitamins B12 and E are used to accelerate growth and prevent rickets in young animals.Vitamin D is universal: normalization of its amount in the body increases lactation (the amount of milk per milk) and accelerates the growth of the animal.

Veterinary medicine uses both food supplements and injections to increase the amount of vitamins. Since an overdose of trace elements is dangerous to the health of the animal, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian before taking a vitamin. For rapid growth and high productivity, you can also normalize the level of other elements in the blood: copper, proteins, salt, manganese, iodine. Good luck in cattle breeding!