Selenium | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Selenium 
Selenium is an essential trace element for ruminants. It is required in cattle for normal growth and fertility and for helping to prevent other health disorders such as mastitis and calf scours. Many pastures are short in natural selenium levels. Therefore, cattle should be supplemented with selenium. The level of selenium in the pasture is dependent on the level of selenium in the soil. Pastures have the lowest levels of selenium occurring in the spring and summer.

Mastitus | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Mastitus
Summer heat and humidity can create the ideal environment for mastitis-causing pathogens to grow. In addition, intense heat can cause the cow to become stressed which results in lowering the immune system function. These two factors together create the perfect storm for mastitis to take a toll on the herd.
Bovine mastitis is the most costly disease for dairy producers. Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland that is usually caused by bacteria that enter the gland through the teat end.

Hoof Care | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

It is estimated that approximately 20% of lameness in cattle – dairy and beef is attributed to foot rot. Foot rot is an infectious condition that causes swelling, heat, and inflammation in cattle’s feet, resulting in severe lameness. Bacteria are responsible for causing foot rot. Fusobacterium necrphorum is the main foot rot causing bacterium. All the foot rot-causing microbes are mainly anaerobic, meaning they thrive in an environment without oxygen. Many of these bacteria are found in feces, so even healthy feet are present with bacteria.

Free Choice Minerals: Summer Sale

Balance Nutrition with Needed Minerals 
Free choice minerals are essential to keep a balanced diet for all life stages. Providing livestock with a free choice option ensures a balanced diet without ration balancing. 
 
 
 
Pallet Discount (June 1 to August 31, 2021) 
Receive a $1/bag discount for each 40 bag (pallet) increment when purchasing any combination of free choice minerals. 

Featured Products:

  • “O” SK Blend – A free choice package designed to provide supplemental salt and kelp to livestock which also meets organic production standards.

Bugs: Friend or Foe?

Usually, our first thought when we see a bug in a field is a pest. Pests can kill, defoliate, and consume entire leaves. If there is an abundance of pests they can do a bunch of damage to an entire field and drastically lower the yield of the field. There are many common pests to watch out for. A common practice to eliminate these pests is using pesticides. Unfortunately, there can be many negative effects when using pesticides.

Feeding Kelp to your Herd | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Why feed kelp to your herd?
Kelp is a natural feed supplement that is packed full of bioavailable minerals and vitamins. Feeding cattle kelp is a great way to fill in trace mineral deficiencies. Kelp also has a great source of iodine, which can support thyroid and metabolic health. The benefits of feeding kelp to the herd include improved reproduction health, improved calf development, and preventing disease. Kelp enhances cattle performance in many ways. It includes selenium and zinc, which supports breed back.