The Beef Mineral and Vitamin Builder Calculator to debut in upcoming webinar series

7/3/26

AMES, Iowa – Selecting the right free-choice mineral program is an important part of cow-calf management. Yet, knowing whether a program truly meets your cattle’s needs can be challenging. The University of Nebraska under the leadership of Dr. Mary Drewnoski and her student Jesse Fulton along with Iowa Beef Center’s research scientist Garland Dahlke have developed a new tool to help producers with those decisions, and attendees at an upcoming two-part webinar series provided by University of Nebraska—Lincoln will be among the first to try it out.

The Beef Mineral and Vitamin Builder provides guidelines on mineral and vitamin supplementation levels for beef cows and developing heifers, Dahlke said.

“It’s an Excel-based program that allows the user to check mineral and vitamin provisions, and learn how to compare commercial products,” he said. “It can also be used to develop custom formulations.”

The webinar series, “Making the Most of Your Free-Choice Mineral Program,” will be held on two consecutive Mondays, July 13 and July 20, both beginning at 8 p.m. Central Time. Organizers designed the series for cow-calf producers, Extension educators, nutrition consultants, and anyone interested in improving mineral decision-making in cow-calf production systems. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions, as the second webinar builds on concepts introduced in the first.

Registration is free. Those interested should register at https://go.unl.edu/UNLMineralWebinar to receive the link to the webinars.

The first webinar will provide the foundation for evaluating and selecting a mineral program, including understanding supplementation, recognizing how deficiencies can affect cattle performance, and identifying which require consistent uptake. Participants will also learn how forage testing can guide mineral decisions and why evaluating mineral interactions is just as important as considering individual mineral concentrations.

The second webinar will focus on applying mineral knowledge to practical management decisions. Participants will be introduced to a new mineral evaluation calculator that can be used to compare commercial mineral products or develop custom mineral formulations. The session will also include real-world examples and practical strategies for managing mineral intake in cow-calf herds.

The webinar series is provided by the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, with funding provided by the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program and the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.

Contact:
Garland Dahlke, IBC research scientist, 515-294-9910, garland@iastate.edu