Dairy TM is a magnesium supplement fortified with potassium, sulfur, and trace minerals that is routinely used in the ANC ration balancing program to meet magnesium requirements. It is advantageous to use a product such as Dairy TM as those forages that are lower in magnesium content (grasses and corn silage) also tend to be lower in trace mineral levels. Dairy TM also works to insure that there is an adequate supply of ruminally available potassium and sulfur.

In ration balancing, the amount of magnesium in the ration varies from lower levels in heifer and steer diets (0.25% of dry matter) to higher levels (0. 29 to 0.3 5% of DM) in lactating cow diets. The ANC program has specific requirements for each group of animals within each herd to meet magnesium needs. The program offers the flexibility to customize these requirements for unique on-farm situations such as feeding high levels of supplemental fat which is known to increase magnesium and trace mineral requirements.

As general rule, the magnesium contained in grains is more available to the cow than that contained in stored forages, which in turn is more available than the magnesium in wilted silages or pasture. Further, forages that test high in magnesium (> 0.35%) may not have as much available for absorption, and may require increasing the magnesium requirements.

If magnesium was the only mineral we needed, we could simply supplement magnesium oxide. However, we need to supplement trace minerals to maintain optimal cow health and performance. Dairy TM (when fed along with Dairy Base and HP-Bio as part ofthe ANC program) will supply adequate trace mineral nutrition to cattle in all phases of their growth and/or lactation cycle. Feeding 0.10 lb. per head per day of Dairy TM will provide: manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se). Supplemental iodine and cobalt are also contained in Dairy TM. These trace minerals are supplied in both the inorganic (sulfates, some oxides) and more available organic (zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt, iron and magnesium proteinates) forms.

The amount of Dairy TM used in any particular ration will vary with current feed tests for magnesium combined with individual herd mineral specifications. Dairy TM is the superior product to use for optimal cow health and higher production when compared to using only magnesium oxide due to the sulfur, potassium, and trace mineral fortification.