Mineral Profile of Different Fodders

Grazing animals under natural conditions obtain their minerals nutrition from plants. Insufficient amount of mineral intake decreases the productivity in animals. For the proper diet it is essential to maintain the minerals level of animals' body, forages and soil, which are the main sources of minerals for the nutrition of the livestock. Growth and health of livestock are considerably affected due to malnutrition. Presently we are facing accumulation of heavy metals including zinc, nickel, cadmium, lead, chromium, copper and cobalt in the soil and water pollution. The mineral concentration is a basic tool for determining the mineral status of livestock and food by which various measures for supplementation to ruminants could be adopted. The goal of present study was to find out the mineral deficiencies or excesses for grazing livestock so that the forages can meet requirements for better productivity of livestock. These suggestions would not only be useful for livestock owners in Pakistan but also helpful for the natives of neighbouring Asian countries having similar ecological conditions in order to implement effective mineral supplementation strategy by different agencies.