TABLE 2.—Water, mineral, and vitamin requirements of selected animals and birds 
Body Wiatee Minerals Vitamins 
Condition class Reference weight Ca P Salt A D 
Kg. Liters (Percent of ration) (IU/kg.) (IU/kg.) 
Beef Cattle 
Steers and heifers, NAS-NRC 1963 _- At (3 eae ee 21 16 25 1GD Os thee 
normal growth. 
Mature pregnant cows, =______- do _____- 454 ______. 16 15 50 2;200 222228 
wintering. 
Cows nursing calves, —--__-- dog =422=- cy. ee ee 24 18 .50 8,800 _______ 
first 3 to 4 months 
postpartum. 
Range cattle ___________- Stoddart and ee Se Bo Oe Aas eee ane ee Geese oe a ose os Seis ee 
Smith 1955. 
Sheep 
Ewes, last 6 weeks of NAS-NRC 1964 _- DD: ° sakes .23 aly 6 1,426 156 
gestation. 
Ewes, first 8 to 10 weeks) _____- dO 2ceass DD’ 2228882 28 21 5 1,197 132 
of lactation. 
Ewes, replacement lambs) -_-_---_- do: 222352 DD. . eee .20 18 6 814 163 
and yearlings. 
Range sheep ______ ___... Stoddart and -—-_____- Ooh eee ne ere = eS) MGr ee ae Soe ae 
Smith 1955. 
Deer 
White-tailed, 2-1/2 to 
3-1/2-year-old bucks. 
Survival __________- Magruder et al. _______ _______ 30 15 Seo at Se 
1957. 
Best antler 
development. = 3 -___-- COR 22s os. see 64 LB G ry eee eas eee aa aera 
Black-tailed _____- eghaeh ens Bissell et al. 1955- 45 eT I EE ons ee ni te a Mere 
Turkey 
Breeding ______________- NAS-NRC 1966 _- _______ ______- 2.25 BOS ace 4,000 900 
Starting poults ~- 2-2-2. Oma ae ee ete, ieee 1.20 .80 .40 4,000 900 
Growth ole ose aa CORR aed 8 OE rd 1.20 .80 40 4,000 900 
Bobwhite Quail 
Starting and growing ___. NAS-NRC 1966. _______ ______- De emg eee 40 13,000 _____-- 
Breedingnssaete Abe GO te 9 ee wns Le ee 2.3 Of See eee ee a eee, ene eee 
Squirrel * 
Growthere see eo ee NAS-NRC 1962 __ _______ ______- 6 5 25 2.000) gears 
Gestation and lactation __ ______ One ee te Pe 6 Di gee oe 12,000: —-<.__- 
*Extrapolated from requirements of rats. 
(Blair and Halls 1968; Halls et al. 1957). 
Thus, it appears that deer can exist on ranges 
where a major source of their food is below the 
recommended level for maintenance. 
Game birds, and perhaps squirrels, need con- 
siderably larger proportions of these elements 
than do large mammals (table 2). 
Minor elements.—Several minor elements 
are essential to animal growth and reproduc- 
tion, but the amounts needed are not well de- 
fined for many animals. Unless indicated other- 
wise, the several requirements for minor el- 
ements are taken from Maynard and Loosli 
(1956) or NAS-NRC (1962, 1963, 1964, 1966). 
Magnesium is an essential constituent of 
bones and teeth and is an activator of various 
enzymes. Chicks and beef calves need about 
0.05 percent in their diets, and dairy calves re- 
quire about 0.6 g. per day per 45 kg. of body 
weight. Rations or forages containing 0.06 per- 
cent, or about 1.52 g. per day, are considered 
adequate for sheep. Deficiencies are rare except 
where there are severe imbalances between 
magnesium and calcium and magnesium and 
phosphorus. “Grass tetany” and “grass stag- 
gers” are sometimes attributed to magnesium 
deficiencies. ; 
Sulphur is required by the animal body in 
the form of sulphur-containing amino acids. 
Sulphur requirements for mature ewes are 
about 0.08 to 0.1 percent of their total ration. 
Since most feedstuffs contain more than 0.1- 
15 
