Introduction :
Around 8000-9000 years ago B.C in Mesopotamia (today’s Southeast Turkey, near Syria) and Northeast Africa (today Sudan); Everything started humans intention to take 1-2 kilos of milk of a cow that produces for its baby. Sheep goats and other animals started to get domesticated after cattle.

Animal Breeding
Civilization has used many methods in order to achieve milk yield increase reaching to 40-50 kg per day and to increase the live weight gain 2-3 kg per day.
The most known methods of these are; various breeding methods such as pure breeding, inbreeding, crossbreeding, healing crossbreeding, combination crossbreeding, etc.

The importance of animal feeding;

In order to achieve such high yields (meat, milk, wool, power, etc.) from animals, nutritional and maintenance conditions as well as animal breeding methods need to be improved. An extra kilogram of mil, live weight gains or offspring yield requires more nutrients. While nutrients are largely met with feed, the requirement for mineral matter is much higher in feed.

Why are trace minerals important for animals?

All living beings need mineral substances and vitamins in order to fulfill vital functions and maintain life. The synthesis of hormones has to be found in the structure of some enzymes, because they control their functioning and therefore must be available in the daily diets.

When deficiencies of vitamins and minerals occur, the function of the organism is impaired, the systems become vulnerable to animal diseases, appetite diminishes growth and development deteriorates. (White muscle disease with selenium deficiency, enzootic ataxia with copper deficiency, etc.)

Mineral and vitamin substances must be given to the animals in order to protect their health and to increase the necessary yield. The importance of applying vitamins and minerals orally:

Scientific studies have proven that the most effective way of supplying vitamins and minerals to animals is via the oral route. In the digestive system, many minerals are digested by the body through amino acids, polysaccharides, and by osmosis. Body minerals are undergoing a preliminary process.

 

Minerals

Tissues

Deficiency

Limit Value

Normal Value

Cobalt

Serum vitamin B12 (pmol/l)

Sheep

<200

200-350

>350

Copper

Serum or plasma Cu (µmol/l)

Beef

<4.5

4.5-9.0

9.5-15.0

Liver Cu (ppm)

Sheep

<16

16-32

32-300

Iodine

PII ranges (mg/l)

Pregnant Cows

<20; very low 21-50

51-79

>80

Tiroksin T4 (nmol/l)

Beef

10

15

>20

Selenium

GSHPx (unit /ml PCV @ 370C)

All ruminators

<18

18.5-39

>40

Serum or plasma Se (nmol/l)

All ruminators

<130

130-250

>250

Zinc

Serum or plama Zn (µmol/l)

All ruminators

<6.1

6.1-9.2

>12.3

Manganese

Blood (mg/l)

All ruminators

<20

20-70

>70

 

Diseases caused by minerals and vitamins deficiency

 

Task in the body	Minerals and vitamins	Diseases caused by deficiency
It enters the structure of the bone and teeth.	Calcium	Bone development deteriorates.
It forms bone tissue along with calcium. It is found in soft tissues and body fluids.	Phosphorus	Bone growth deteriorates, appetite decreases, yield decreases.
It provides conduction in the nerves and is necessary for enzymes and metabolism. It goes into the structure of bone tissue.	Magnesium	Meadow tetanus, weak bone texture and nervous related symptoms are seen.
It controls the basal metabolism and the sexual functions. It enters the thyroxine hormone structure.	Iodine	The reproductive system is adversely affected, deaths in the mother's womb and goiter occurs.
It works in blood production. It is involved in the transport of oxygen.	Iron	Anemia and loss of appetite occur.
It enters the structure of many enzymes. It plays an active role in the skin, nail and reproductive system.	Zinc	Skin, hair (wool), and nail structure deteriorate. Reproduction is adversely affected.
It has an positive effect on muscle development.	Selenium	White muscle disease, abortions, deficient baby.
It provides the synthesis of vitamin B12, which is very important for digestion.	Cobalt	Low performance, impaired health, anemia and impaired ovarian function.
The building block of the enzyme. It works in all body tissues.	Copper	Anemia, diarrhea, developmental problems, paralytic birth in lambs and not showing estrus.
It is involved in the formation of bone tissue, enzyme activation and reproductive system.	Manganese	Disturbance in bone and muscles, fertility problems (no estrus, no fertilization, offspring, abnormal birth)
It is necessary for blood and other body fluids. It regulates the appetite and releases saliva.	Sodium	The appetite diminishes, growth slows, milk yield drops
It allows the development and renewal of nerve, bone and skin tissue.	Vitamin – A	Visual deficiency, deterioration of skin quality, developmental problems.
Provides healthy development of the skeletal system.	Vitamin - D	In the genes, the disruption of the development of bones (Rachitism), bone erosion in adults.
It has a protective mission in vein wall, blood, and in the tissues.	Vitamin - E	Muscle development disruption, muscle destruction and liver disorders.

 

How to calculate the daily nutrient and mineral needs of animals?
The daily nutritional need of animals is calculated by taking into account the following criteria.. 

1) The animal’s share of life: the need for this animal to survive. (In the growth and development of the body – in protecting the body temperature)
2) The yield of the animal is the average of the annual yields of daily, monthly and yearly yields. 
  a) Milk yield
  b) Meat yield 
  c) Wool efficiency
  d) Calf yield (The baby’s growing up in the womb.)
  e) Extra physical activity yield: Load carrying ox, bulls, etc.
3) Animal wastes: It is the sum of the nutrients extracted from wastes such as Gaita (feces), urine, sweat, and tear.

Content of nutrient value and mineral substances in 1 kg of milk: 
Composition of milk:

 

Component	Amount (g/1 kg)
Water	880,0
Dry matter	120,0
Protein	32
Fat	34
Lactose	47
Mineral substances	7,2

 

Daily nutrient requirement and mineral substance requirements of a 30-40 kg milk giving cow are apparent above.

What is the daily mineral intake requirements in animals?

The amounts of mineral substances that should be found in the daily diets of cattle and sheep are shown in the table below according to 1 kg feed.

 

Trace Elements	Cattles mg/kg	Sheep mg/kg
Cobalt	0.11	0.11
Copper	12	5-6
Iodine	0,5 in winter  0.15 in summer	0.5
Manganese	40	40
Selenium	0.1	0.05-0.1
Zinc	40	40
Vitamin A	66-220	33-66 (iu/kg LW)
Vitamin D	6-10	6-10 (iu/kg LW)
Vitamin E	15	15

 

Can the daily mineral matter requirement in animals be covered with brittle and roughage feed?
If these animals were the first animals to be domesticated by humans, they could be. However, today’s animals mineral and vitamin needs are so high that the mineral substances and vitamins cannot be met with roughage and normal feed.

 

Element	Total need mg/day	The maximum amount of minerals that a 12.5 kg/day feed eating animal can get
Co	1.375	0.875
Cu	150	100
I	6.25	2.5
Mn	500	625
Se	1.25	0.625
Zn	500	250

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obligation to give additional mineral substances to animals

As seen from the tables, it is not possible to meet the need for minerals simply by giving regular feed.

Live physiology knows what it needs the most.
An example we all know well is that the child with iron deficiency eats soil. Animals that lack minerals in livestock are trying to get rid of this deficiency by eating nylon cloth. Here, live physiology wants to eat the most suitable substance for its own self.

the maintenance methods with licking blocks/buckets: (free Choice) 
Many scientific studies have shown that the excess of some minerals can damage animal health as much as the lack of those minerals. If we consider factors such as individual differences among animals in intestinal absorption, it is impossible to estimate the daily mineral requirement. However, with licking blocks, animals intake the required minerals whenever they need it.