Selenium dosage for club calves?

[box6rranch]

I found selenium tablets at the grocery store. Wondering if I can grind then and use them for a topper in the calves feed? If so anyone have a clue about the dosage? How many mg per 100 pds?

 

[CAB]

What are you wanting to achieve?

 

[box6rranch]

What are you wanting to achieve?

I'd like to make them more sound in their pasterns

 

[sjcattleco]

Selenium does alot of great and amazing things but it won't do that! 

 

[WBar Farms]

what will it do

 

[Gerard]

Look at the side, Want Hair ,  I have to say that i had a Heatwave Steer that finished last spring that it work wonders for. He won a lot as a prospect then at 1000lb look like a train wreck . I got a dose and tried it helped his pasterns.

 

[twistedhshowstock]

Actually Selenium can help their pasterns some, especially if you have one that is popping in the pasterns, but selenium generally only does that if they are selenium deficient.  However, a lot of cattle are selenium defficient so its always one of the first things we try on cattle that are a little stiff or popping in the pasterns.

 

[aj]

So is a popping pastern genetic problem or a nutrional worry? I always take 4 meletonin tabs to help unwind before bed. Spose to counteract coffee and alcohol consumption.

 

[Aussie]

So is a popping pastern genetic problem or a nutrional worry? I always take 4 meletonin tabs to help unwind before bed. Spose to counteract coffee and alcohol consumption.

Isn't meletonin also for hair.  ;D Another piece of the AJ puzzle completed. 

You should be able to buy Selenium boluses made just for cattle or there is a selenium cattle injection. You can here anyway. We bolus all our cattle for Copper Selenium and Cobalt.

 

[linnettejane]

So is a popping pastern genetic problem or a nutrional worry? I always take 4 meletonin tabs to help unwind before bed. Spose to counteract coffee and alcohol consumption.

Isn't meletonin also for hair.  ;D Another piece of the AJ puzzle completed. 

You should be able to buy Selenium boluses made just for cattle or there is a selenium cattle injection. You can here anyway. We bolus all our cattle for Copper Selenium and Cobalt.

aussie, just curious...why copper selenium and cobalt for all of them?

 

[kfacres]

Selenium does alot of great and amazing things but it won't do that! 

disagree.

So is a popping pastern genetic problem or a nutrional worry? I always take 4 meletonin tabs to help unwind before bed. Spose to counteract coffee and alcohol consumption.

Isn't meletonin also for hair.  ;D Another piece of the AJ puzzle completed. 

You should be able to buy Selenium boluses made just for cattle or there is a selenium cattle injection. You can here anyway. We bolus all our cattle for Copper Selenium and Cobalt.

aussie, just curious...why copper selenium and cobalt for all of them?

personally, we give everything selenium and iron at my parents when they are born...

now at my new house, our water is REALLY high in Iron, so I think we'll skip the iron shots this year.

Actually Selenium can help their pasterns some, especially if you have one that is popping in the pasterns, but selenium generally only does that if they are selenium deficient.  However, a lot of cattle are selenium defficient so its always one of the first things we try on cattle that are a little stiff or popping in the pasterns.

You know, the ironic part about this... is that we use tons and tons of Se in our sheep flock.. However, for the opposite.. Se helps strengthen pasterns when they get too long and weak...

 

[twistedhshowstock]

I dont know how we got on melatonin either, I think it was because someone refered to the melatonin implant ad at the side.  But yes to answer a previous question we mainly use melatonin to promote hair growth.  It can also help a little in getting one to lay down fat cover, and can have some calming effect on one thats just a little jumpy.

As far as why Se is used differently in sheep.  Naturally different minerals affect different animals differently.  Someone earlier talked about giving copper to all their cattle, try letting your sheep get ahold of some copper and see how it turns out for you.  But also Se is a vital part of the make up of connective tissue and lubricants in the joints.  I guess in general it doesnt fix one specific problem it is just vital for all around joint health.

 

[AAOK]

Conditions Where Selenium Yeast May Be Beneficial
Safety and Regulatory Restrictions: Certain markets do not permit the use of inorganic Se. In addition, because Se-methionine is primarily directed toward deposition in body tissues, Se-yeast will be much less likely than sodium selenite to result in toxicity to the animal if excess Se is consumed.

Presence of Dietary Antagonists: Considerable evidence shows certain dietary antagonists may reduce the availability of sodium selenite in ruminants. This may become important when supplemental mineral intake is low and in low soil-Se geographies. Sulfur is the most important antagonist in ruminants and has been shown to result in linear decreases in Se digestibility from inorganic Se, when sulfur concentrations were within ranges typically encountered.

Increasing Selenium in Key Tissues: Increasing Se concentration in the proteins of fetal tissues and in colostral milk may yield health benefits. As such, there should be measurable benefits to including Se-yeast in the diets of animals during gestation and early lactation.

Economic Analysis and Recommended Usage Rates for Se-Yeast
Complete replacement of supplemental Se from inorganic Se with Se-yeast increases ration cost about $2.00 per ton of treated feed or about 4¢ per dairy cow per day. Cost for beef cattle would be about 2.6¢ per day because of lower feed intake levels. Assuming a possible 20% greater GSH-Px activity when Se-yeast is fed compared with inorganic Se, complete replacement of inorganic Se with Se yeast is probably not cost-effective, even considering FDA limits on supplemental Se.

The ADM technical service staff offers the following suggestions for optimizing usage of organic Se from Se-yeast in ruminant diets:

Total dietary Se must not exceed the FDA maximum of 0.3 ppm. There seems to be a consensus among Se-yeast suppliers that 50% replacement of inorganic Se with Se-yeast may be an economically appropriate. As such, it is suggested that no more than 0.15 ppm of Se from Se-yeast be included in ruminant diets and that no more than 1 mg/day of supplemental Se as Se-yeast be included in beef rations and no more than 3 mg/day of supplemental Se be included in the rations of dairy cattle.
 

Late pregnant and early lactation animals will likely derive the highest economic benefit from the use of Se-yeast, because Se stores in the fetus and colostrum will also be increased with probable health benefits for the offspring.
 

Across all classes of growing and breeding livestock, Se-yeast should probably be restricted to only to those animals experiencing high stress with potentially low feed intake.
 

Vitamin E and Se have overlapping roles in cellular protection against the damaging effects of superoxides in the body. As such, a high level of diet fortification with vitamin E will likely offset some of the potential benefits of a more bioavailable Se source. For a cost that is equal to that of replacing 50% of the inorganic Se with Se-yeast, the level of supplemental vitamin E in the ration can be increased 3 to 5 times. In a dairy ration, for example, supplemental vitamin E could be increased from 1,000 to 3,000 IU per cow daily at equal cost to replacing 50% of the inorganic Se.

Differentiating Among the Selenium Yeast Products on the Market
Currently, there are at least five Se-yeast suppliers with products on the market. All of these products should be equally safe and all have FDA approval for use in animal feeds. It is the ADM position that, on the basis of equal Se-methionine levels, all of these products should have similar biological efficacy. Suggested Maximum Feeding Rates for Se-Yeast


Se-Yeast, ppm
in ration
Se-Yeast, mg/day

Dairy
 
 

Calves
0.15
1

Heifers
-
-

Close-up Dry Cows
0.15
1 to 2

Lactating cows (<120 DIM)
0.15
3

Lactating cows (>120 DIM)
-
-

Beef
 
 

Brood cows (late gestation to breeding)
0.15
1 to 2

Stocker cattle
-
-

Feedlot cattle
 
 

Arrival period
0.15
1

Growing/finishing
-
-

 

[kfacres]

I dont know how we got on melatonin either, I think it was because someone refered to the melatonin implant ad at the side.  But yes to answer a previous question we mainly use melatonin to promote hair growth.  It can also help a little in getting one to lay down fat cover, and can have some calming effect on one thats just a little jumpy.

As far as why Se is used differently in sheep.  Naturally different minerals affect different animals differently.  Someone earlier talked about giving copper to all their cattle, try letting your sheep get ahold of some copper and see how it turns out for you.  But also Se is a vital part of the make up of connective tissue and lubricants in the joints.  I guess in general it doesnt fix one specific problem it is just vital for all around joint health.

yes true, exactly what I was thinking.. but did not say...

 

[Okotoks]

We live in a selenium deficient area so a lot of our minerals and feeds include selenium and they all come with warnings not to feed with other products with selenium. I assume this means you can feed too much? We also inject new borns with selenium.

 

[aj]

If you fed a calf a marajuana brownie would this help calm them I wonder?

 

[kfacres]

If you fed a calf a marajuana brownie would this help calm them I wonder?

true story... it might.. but I bet it will show up in their milk...

A few years ago, some dairy farming cousins in the next county over, got a visit by the police, milk inspectors, etc... one day... Apparently, illegal substance showed up in their milk tests.... 

Come to find out, somebody had planted a bunch BUNCH of dope in one of their corn fields... They proceeded to chop that field for silage, and as it was fed to the cows-- it showed up in the milk samples. 

Upon testing the entire silo-- the contents were confiscated, and reimbursed for.  Cleaned out the entire silo...

They then proceeded to find the field, and in fact find the planted pot plants...

bet those planters were shocked when they returned to find a bald field of cover corn...

 

[Aussie]

aussie, just curious...why copper selenium and cobalt for all of them?

We are lacking in all of these minerals. Do the calves at weaning and the cows 6 weeks prior to calving. Selenium also helps cows clean better and so conceive better.

 

[box6rranch]

Update............we decided to try Natural Stride. Had a problem at first with the calves liking the taste of it and the powder filtering to the bottom of the feed tub. We spray the top of the feed with water and sprinkle the powder to stick now. They are eating all of it and absolutely no popping is going on!!!!!