John Paterson
Mineral supplements cost money. Do they work? Are there tricks that a rancher can use that will enable his cattle to better utilize mineral supplements? To answer these and other questions about the use of mineral supplements, the Bovine Connection committee has invited Dr. John Paterson, Montana State University beef extension specialist, to discuss cattle response in relation to mineral supplements. Paterson will speak at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the new Richland County Extension/EARC facility, 1499 N. Central Ave., Sidney.
“I will discuss a lot of related issues regarding mineral supplements,” Paterson remarks. “I’ll talk about some of the factors that influence mineral supplement usage. Ranchers pay $100 a ton for minerals for their herds, and I plan to show why this is a good investment, and I’ll also talk about some of the issues we run into.”
Paterson also will discuss animal behavior with given minerals, the value of minerals, how to get animals to eat the less than tasty supplements, and other related issues. “Some animals won’t eat minerals at all, while others will eat 5 lbs. a day,” Paterson says. “I’ll talk about what influences this behavior. I’ll also talk about flavored additives. Why put black licorice into a mineral supplement? It tastes great, but just how good does it taste and what does it do?”
He continues, “There’s also the issue of tetany, when cattle get the shakes and then die. Tetany is treated with magnesium, but magnesium tastes terrible. I will show how cattlemen can get their herd to eat magnesium. Also, last year we had a lot of rain, then we had a dry August. A lot of the ponds dried up and filled with salt. I will discuss how to know if you have a problem with salt.”
Paterson, one of only two beef extension specialists in Montana, specializes in cattle management and cattle nutrition. “I’m a nutritionist by trade,” he comments. “I’ve been doing this now for 32 years.”
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