Authors : G. Valle , L.R. McDowell , D.L. Prichard , P.J. Chenoweth , D.L. Wright , G. Martin , W.E. Kunkle and N.S. Wilkinson
Abstract: Angus cows were supplemented with selenium (yeast- form) via salt free-choice mineral mixtures and two injectable products, Deposel (barium selenate, long term) and Mu-Se (sodium selenite, short term). Plasma selenium of their calves was determined at birth and 60, 120 and 180 d postpartum. During year 1 (1997), calf plasma selenium concentrations at birth were at a critical level (0.03 mg L-1) for the control, but below adequacy (0.07 mg L-1) for the control, Mu-Se and Deposel treatments. Calves from the two free-choice mineral treatments had an average plasma concentration of 0.06 mg L-1, which is borderline to adequate (0.07 mg L-1). At 60, 120 and 180 d, the control, Mu-Se and Deposel treatments were below critical level concentrations, whereas the averages for the free-choice mineral mixtures were at or above adequacy. During year 2 (1998), the control was below critical plasma concentrations at all times, while Mu-Se and Deposel treatments were at critical level at birth and 60 d of age and below the critical level thereafter. The two free-choice mineral mixtures were higher (P<0.05) than all other treatments with average borderline concentrations (0.055 mg L-1) at birth and near adequate values (0.065 mg L-1) the rest of the time. In general, the control and the two injectable inorganic treatments resulted in reduced calf plasma selenium concentrations with time and at no time were adequate. The two free-choice mineral mixture treatments with organic selenium were adequate most of the time and, most important, were adequate at the end of the experiment (180 d).
G. Valle , L.R. McDowell , D.L. Prichard , P.J. Chenoweth , D.L. Wright , G. Martin , W.E. Kunkle and N.S. Wilkinson , 2003. Selenium Status of Beef Calves from Dams Receiving Selenium Supplementation. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 2: 338-342.