Like any other business, cattle producers are always looking for ways to reduce costs. As any producer will tell you, there is no more significant expense than feed costs. A management tool used quite often to regulate feed intake is using salt. Though it can have some impact, controlling feed intake with salt is not precise and will require some tinkering in order to get it right.
An interesting thing about this nutrient is that cattle have a natural “urge” to consume it. This urge means that, unlike other minerals, they will actually seek it out. If, for some reason, they are not able to find it, then they will try to ingest it from other sources. Consuming from other sources is when you see cattle eating odd things such as tree bark, dirt, and even urine.
It is essential for the overall function of cattle. Along with adding in milk production, it will assist with other functions, too. These functions are things like reproduction, blood flow, and even sweating. However, the last one should be obvious.