A Joint Working Party of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Agriculture for Scotland, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association and British Veterinary Association (MAFF, 1983) adopted dietary allowances (which include safety margins) of 0.1 mg selenium and 15.0 mg vitamin E/kg dry matter. The National Research Council (NRC, 1988) increased the Se and vitamin E allowances to 0.3 and 15.0 mg/kg DM. For illustrative dietary intakes of 10 and 20 kg DM in pregnancy and in lactation, these amount to 1^3 mg Se/day and 2^6 mg Se/day, respectively, and to either 150 mg vitamin E/day (in pregnancy) or 300 mg vitamin E/day (in lactation). Research since then has led to the use of higher intakes in practice to enhance both udder health and reproductive aspects. Weiss (1998) has criticized both the MAFF (1983) and the NRC (1988) dietary allowances in view of the general increase in milk yields, the increased use of forage and home-grown feeds and the often more prolonged housing of cows, which reduces their intake of vitamin E from good grass.