Transcript BISON PRODUCERS OF ALBERTA

CANADIAN BISON ASSOCIATION
BISONCONVENTION
PRODUCERS
ANNUAL
NOV 21-24
2009
ALBERTA
Regina Saskatchewan
OF
Minerals Meeting Bison’s Needs
• Roy Lewis DVM 1981 WCVM
• Partner 6 Vet mixed practice Westlock
Alberta
• Interests Large animal reproduction and
herd health
• 10% Practice involves bison elk camelids
• Own 30 bison cows
Written numerous articles bison and cattle.
Why Minerals ???
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Needed for Muscle growth
Bone Growth
Reproduction (Phos)
Immune status
Enzyme Function
Blood Formation
Check mineral status best on Liver slaughter
samples
• Mineral deficiencies occur in 75-95% of feeds
grown in Alberta
If Bison Not Fed Minerals
• Decreased Growth
• Reproductive Rates
decline
• Poorer Immune
Response
• More Prone to
Disease and
Parasites
• Deficiencies slow to
develop
• Specific Mineral
Deficiencies
• I have personally
seen Iodine def
• Copper Deficiency
• Selenium Def
• Vitamin A
• Deficiencies slow to
correct once minerals
added
Signs of a worm burden
• Initially no clinical signs
• Poor growth rough hair
coat
• Diarrhea & wt loss
(protein loss)
• Part of the herd affected
• Lungworms weight loss
(coughing)
• Lack of appetite
• Death
• Very little at gross
postmortem
Requirements
of Minerals for Bison
• Nutritionists Use
N.R.C. reqts for cattle
• Not specifically done
for bison yet
• Since Bison and
cattle interbreed reqts
will be very similar.
• Based on weight
reqts
• Based on feed at
season of year
• Critical to breeding
age animals
• Critical to those
undergoing rapid
growth.
Calculating Amount Required
• Nutritionists calculate on NRC assuming
nothing in the feed
• 1 bag = 25kg
• 40 gms per mature bison daily
• 25000gms/ 40gms = 625 bison days
• Minerals and vitamins in the feed is the
buffer zone
• Different Minerals Formulated for Bison
How to feed minerals
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Blue salt is not minerals it is CO I salt
Loose minerals generally has approx 45% salt
In feedlot can be mixed in the ration
Free choice in feeders (need to be strong
enough)
Top Dressed in Grain
Keep in front of them all the time.
I have never seen bison overeating minerals
I also keep Co I (blue) salt blocks out ???
Monitor uptake may need to change brands???
Free Ranging Bison
• Study 1990 WBNP most essential
minerals were within normal cattle range
• Levels lower in free ranging versus farmed
• Exception was selenium (low in big area in
western Canada)
• Most plant species low in selenium.
• Bison are the most indiscriminant eaters
this is in our favor Bison select their range.
Copper Deficiency
• Poor Hair Coat
• Enlargement of the Epiphysis (growth plates
near the joints)
• Chronic Diarrhea
• Poor Growth & Repro Performance
• Primary or Secondary (Mo and Sulphates)
• Have feed tested cattle (8-10 ppm per feed)
• Dr. Murray Woodbury Smoke Signals Feb 2006
Other Topics
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Pour On Deworming Study
Water Hemlock
Other Research Projects
Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF)