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Phosphate supplementation is essential in maintaining optimal production and reproduction in both your cattle and sheep, and especially when they are grazing on green pastures.
Phosphate is involved in many of the physiological functions in an animal’s body. A deficiency of this nutrient results in:
- Decreased feed intake.
- Suppressed appetite.
- Decrease in milk production after the cow has calved.
- Lower muscle mass in weaner calves.
- Decreased reproduction of the herd.
- Fewer weaner calves will be produced.
When to supplement
Phosphate supplementation will play a vital role during certain parts of the year. When your flock or herd is grazing on green summer pastures, you will need to supplement higher amounts as the grass is easily digestible, and the protein and energy contents are high, but the phosphate is present in limited supply. During the winter months, the dry veld pasture contains almost no phosphate. Therefore, phosphate supplementation is not only important during the summer months, but is required at a lower amount during winter, with an early spring calving season (see the graph).
Requirements:
Sheep and cattle require slightly different amounts of phosphate. Phosphate is better recycled in the saliva of sheep and they graze more selectively with better quality pasture. Therefore, they have a lower phosphate requirement.
- Dry sheep will need 1 to 2g of phosphate per day.
- Late gestational or lactating ewes will need 3 to 4g phosphate per day.
- On green summer pastures, a dry cow will need 6g of phosphate per day.
- Heifers that are still growing will need 9g of phosphate per day.
- A late gestational or lactating cow will need 12g of phosphate per day.
Bioavailability of different phosphate sources
The bioavailability and absorption of phosphate sources will differ, with the absorbability of phosphate in green pastures approximately 60%, and in grain approximately 70%.
With commercially manufactured dicalcium phosphate and monocalcium phosphate, the bioavailability amounts can easily vary between 80 and 90%.
Our Molatek supplements
Molatek Foslick (V16059) is a perfectly formulated, ideally balanced phosphate lick that provides trace minerals and phosphate to ruminants. Foslick contains calcium, phosphate, and seven essential trace minerals. This highly palatable lick stimulates ovulation rate for higher calving and lambing percentages, and improves energy utilisation from pastures.
Molatek Fosblock (V22502) is a weather-resistant block that is designed to supplement phosphate and trace minerals in ruminants grazing on green pastures. It is easily absorbed by both sheep and cattle, and ensures high animal performance.
Both Molatek Foslick and Molatek Fosblock improve animal performance and ensure increased profitability. – Dr Vlok Ferreira, technical executive, Molatek
