PHOSPHORUS DEFICIENCY
Phosphorus (P) is the mineral most frequently associated with infertility in dairy cows.
Under normal conditions, a P deficiency in dairy cows will result in:
- Poor appetite
- Poor production,
- Pica (craving /eating of abnormal materials)
- Reproductive disturbances/ infertility.
A moderate deficiency in P may be associated with cows not conceiving when mated, while a more severe deficiency can extend postpartum anestrus (non-cycling activity post calving) due to inactive ovaries.
