Selenium deficient areas

[McDaid36]

We live in a selenium deficient area, and our hay is made locally, so I know it too is coming from a deficient place. For our goats in pregnancy, we always give a Sel/E supplement twice before they birth. Is the same for cows? If so, what would the dosage be? Thanks!

[Jennifer L.]

I just toss out a Selenium salt block once in awhile. I don't treat cows individually. Seems to work ok here.

Jennifer

[MO_cows]

We provide loose minerals that are "regionally formulated" and the tag shows a good amount of selenium. We offer it free choice. The mineral/salt lick blocks, they would have to lick all day to get the amount that is recommended. I like to offer salt and minerals separately and let them self dose.

[genebo]

Selenium is poisonous in excessive quantities. There's an acceptable level that we should try to reach, while avoiding overdosing.

A lot of research has been done and there are maps available on the web to show which parts of the country are selenium deficient, and how much.

The best and most accurate way to determine how much selenium to supplement is through your agricultural extension agent. He'll be up to speed on your local soils and can get a soil test done for you. My agent even has a means to test hay. You can take him a sample of hay you're considering buying and he can test it on the spot.

There are many pre-mixed loose minerals with varying amounts of selenium in them. If you check around you can find a local supplier that will custom mix minerals for you. We have a group of cattle owners that contract to have a large quantity of minerals custom mixed. Joining them allows you to buy the custom minerals at their low group price.

[goodhors]

With only 1 or 2 head of cattle, I just top dress the minerals for my heifers on their handful of grain each day. Being small, they don't get much of a helping, between1/8tsp or 1/4tsp once a day. This is a multi-vitamin, mineral mix.

I also do not believe that animals can get enough Selenium from licking mineral blocks or in their feed, if you are not feeding according to the manufacter's directions on quantity. And with cattle and horses, the recommended amounts of feed are WAY more than our animals need.

Our area is totally deficient in Selenium, any grazing animals must be supplemented to get what they need. Some animals like horses, can't use supplemental Selenium without also getting Vitamin E at the same time to allow absorbtion into the body.

With the older heifer, the additional mineral and vitamin feeding helped get her heat cycles regulated, her warts all fell off, added a better overall "bloom" to her appearance. Quite amazing how lacking some minerals or vitamins can affect the whole animal.

[sagehill]

I give my livestock (goats and cow/calf) Diamond V XPC yeast which contains selenomethionine, the natural organic form of selenium that's more bioavailable and safer (much harder to overdose) than the inorganic selenium selenite in Bo-Se and mineral blocks.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium_yeast

A review of the scientific literature concluded that selenium yeast from reputable manufacturers is adequately characterised, of reproducible quality, and shows no evidence of toxicity in long-term supplementation studies at doses as high as 400 and 800 micrograms per day (exceeding the EC tolerable upper intake level of 300 micrograms per day).[39]

I feed 1/2 oz per day to the cow, but add it to loose minerals for the goats. I also sprinkle a little on poultry feed: http://ps.fass.org/cgi/reprint/84/12/1900.pdf

I use the XPC Green, with no GMOs.