Table 2.
Macro Minerals
(need in gram amounts)
Calcium Potassium
Phosphorus Sodium
Sulfur Chloride
Magnesium
Micro Minerals
(needed in milligram amounts)
Copper Chromium
Iron Cobalt
Iodine Manganese
Selenium Molybdenum
Zinc Nickel
Well managed forages in Virginia provide most of the mineral needs for the cow-calf operation. Soil fertility, soil pH, forage species, and forage quality all affect mineral content of forages. Since Virginia has a wide variety of soil types, mineral deficiencies in the forage will vary across the state. However, there are several minerals that are deficient or marginal in Virginia (Table 3). Special attention should be paid to supplementing these minerals.