Carencias minerales en el animal que vive del pastoreo

Abstract

The grazing animal is likely to be exposed to mineral deficiencies of relatively few elements. The most widespread mineral deficiency is that of phosphorus. There is ample evidence that this deficiency causes very heavy losses in reduced fertility of grazing bovines, all over the World. On the other hand deficiencies of Calcium are very rare under grazing conditions. This fact is specially important since many old texts used in Latin America have given a greater importance to calcium than experimental evidence indicates. The grazing animal may suffer from nutritional anemias due to cobalt or copper deficiency. These deficiencies have already been identified in Latin America and are rather serious in Brazil and Peru respectively. Less severe cases are likely to be found in other countries but little specific data is available yet. Deficiencies of iron, on the other hand are very unlikely to develop in the grazing animal. Common gross symptoms of cobalt and copper deficiency are discussed.