Animal Nutrition: Minerals and Crude Fiber

• These study notes cover Mineralstoffe (minerals) and Rohfaser (crude fiber) in animal nutrition, based on the provided German text.

Mineralstoffe (Minerals)

• Minerals are defined as all elements found in plants and animals, except for carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N).
• The animal body contains approximately 30 to 35 different minerals, with about 15 to 20 being essential.

Functions of Minerals

• Building blocks for the skeleton.
• Components of active substances and metabolic regulators (e.g., iron for blood, iodine for the thyroid gland).
• Regulation of the acid-base balance (e.g., NaCl).

Classification of Minerals

• Classification is based on the quantity needed in the animal body.
• Mengenelemente are minerals needed in larger quantities (>50 mg/kg body weight).
• Examples of Mengenelemente: Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Magnesium (Mg), Chlorine (Cl), Sulfur (S).
• Spurenelemente are trace elements needed in smaller quantities (mg or µg / kg body weight).
• Examples of Spurenelemente: Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Zink (Zn), Cobalt (Co), Iodine (I), Selenium (Se).

Mineralstoffhaushalt (Mineral Balance)

• The animal's body strives to maintain a balance between mineral intake from the digestive tract, excretion, and metabolic exchange processes.
• Hormones from the parathyroid gland and adrenal cortex are crucial in maintaining the balance of Mengenelemente.
• Regulation primarily occurs via the skeleton (Ca, P) and the kidneys (Na, K, Cl, also P).
• Vitamin D also impacts mineral metabolism.
• Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) can be stored in large quantities in the skeleton.
• These reserves can be released during periods of insufficient intake or increased demand.
• Physiological damage does not occur if the reserves are replenished during periods of lower demand.
• Sodium chloride is particularly important for animals.
• A mineral lick (Leckstein) can provide supplements.

Mineralstoffbedarf und Mineralstoffversorgung (Mineral Requirements and Supply)

• Animal requirements depend on both the quantity of individual minerals and the specific ratios between them.
• The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is crucial, along with other ratios (varying by animal species).
• Mineral interactions exist among themselves and with vitamins, proteins, and other feed components.

Versorgungsstufen (Supply Levels)

• Minimalversorgung is the supply of barely enough minerals to prevent deficiency symptoms.
• Optimalversorgung is the supply at a level where further increases don't improve health, fertility, or performance.

Calcium (Ca)

• Functions: Activating enzymes, nerve excitability, muscle function, fertility.
• Deficiency symptoms: Impaired skeletal development in young animals, demineralization in adults (Osteomalazie), osteoporosis in humans.
• Excess: Can impair the utilization of other minerals (Mg, Cu, Zn, etc.).
• Supply: Consider the optimal amount, the Ca:P ratio (e.g., 2:1 in cattle, 1.3-1.6:1 in pigs), and vitamin D. The ratio for dogs is 1.5-1.8:1.

Phosphor (P)

• Functions: Component of the cell nucleus, energy metabolism, fertility.
• Deficiency and supply considerations like Calcium.

Kalium (K), Natrium (Na) (Potassium, Sodium)

• Functions: Maintaining osmotic pressure in body fluids and acid-base balance.
• Deficiency symptoms: Sodium deficiency leads to reduced feed intake, reduced performance, salt cravings, and restlessness. Potassium excess leads to similar symptoms.
• Supply: Aim for a Na:K ratio of 1:4-20 in cattle.
• Forage is generally low in sodium.
• Potassium excess can occur with heavily manured feed. Additional sodium (salt licks) is crucial.

Magnesium (Mg)

• Functions: Activating enzymes, nerve function (with Ca and P).
• Deficiency symptoms: Excitability, cramps (grass tetany), decreased performance.
• Supply: High protein and potassium intake with low crude fiber can reduce magnesium utilization and body reserves. Magnesium-rich feed can be used as a prevention measure.

Eisen (Fe) (Iron)

• Function: Blood formation, component of enzymes.
• Deficiency symptoms: Anemia, growth disturbances, sometimes death.
• Occurrence: Abundant in green fodder, hay, and grain.

Kupfer (Cu) (Copper)

• Functions: Blood formation, component of enzymes.
• Deficiency symptoms: Emaciation, salt hunger, reduced fertility, pigment deficiency in hair (hair turns white). Occurs if there is a calcium excess
• Occurrence: plentiful in oilseed cakes and bran

Mangan (Mn) (Manganese)

• Functions: Enzyme and hormone formation, influence on sexual function.
• Deficiency symptoms: Disturbances of the bone development and fertility
• Occurrence: sufficient amount in Green fodder, if the pH- value of the soil is not too high.

Zink (Zn) (Zinc)

• Functions: Enzyme component.
• Deficiency symptoms: Skin changes (parakeratosis) in pigs, growth inhibition, hair loss and reduced feed intake. brittle claws.
• Occurrence: Abundant in brans, oilseed cakes and feed yeast.

Kobalt (Co) (Cobalt)

• Functions: Structure of vitamin B12, activation of enzymes.
• Deficiency symptoms: Low appetite, emaciation, salt hunger (Semperkrankheit = pining disease).
• Occurrence: Abundant ins yeast, molasses and sugar beet leave.

Jod (J) (Iodine)

• Functions: Component of thyroid gland hormones and sexual function
• Deficiency symptoms: Goitre (thick neck).
• Occurrence: Abundant I fish meal, coconut and linseed cakes and molasses-containing dried cuttings.

Mineralstoffgehalt der pflanzlichen Futtermittel (Mineral Content of Plant Feed)

• Mineral content of plant feed depends on the botanical family of plants.
• Legumes, beet, beet leaves, and rapeseed have a high calcium content, grasses are eher mineral content poor and have a low calcium/phosphor ratio. Herbs are mineral content rich.
• High potassium supply (liquid manure, stable manure) makes almost all plants potassium rich. Root and tuberous fruits are eher mineral content poor . Oil fruits, extraction flours, seeds and bran are calcium poor and relatively phosphor content rich . The phosphor content in kernels and seeds is mainly phytin phosphor, which can only be used incompletely by animals with a single-chambered stomach.

Mineral content depends on nutrients available in the soil.

• Versatile fertilisation has a positive influence.
• Both too dry or too wet weather conditions are unfavourable for the mineral content of the plants. Dryness especially reduces the phosphorus content.
• With progressing vegetation the mineral content of the plants decreases (especially the phosphorus content).
• A careful making is important and reduces the mineral content losses.

Rohfaser (Crude Fiber)

• Rohfaser mainly comprises cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

Aufgaben (functions)

• Mechanische Sättigung (mechanical satiation, bulking agent).
• Regulation of digestion.
• Tiere need a certain crude fiber portion.
• Regulation of the acid-base balance in the rumen.
• Impacts on the Milchfettbildung (milk fat production). High fiber causes higher milk production with good fat production

Eigenschaften - Fütterungswirkung (characteristics - feed effect)

• Crude fiber has a special place and determines the digestibility degree of a feed.
• It is only digestible to a noteworthy extent in ruminants through the help of smaller bodies.
• Ruminants absolutely need a particular amount of crude fiber for a good rumen function.
• Otherwise it mainly serves ab ballast.

Vorkommen (occurrence)

• Rohfaser makes the scaffold substance.
• Older plants show a high crude fiber content with low digestibility.