Management Application of Serum Mineral Profiles in Diagnosing Production Disease Clusters in Beef Herds in Benue State, North Central Nigeria

Production diseases caused by macro- and micro-mineral imbalances frequently present as clusters of reproductive failure, poor growth, and non-specific ill-thrift in beef cattle herds, challenging practical diagnosis in rural veterinary settings. This study applied serum mineral profiling to investigate production disease clusters in beef cattle herds in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Four herds exhibiting distinct production syndromes were enrolled, with fifteen animals per herd sampled for serum copper, selenium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. Pasture and soil mineral analyses were conducted concurrently in each herd's grazing territory. Selenium deficiency was identified as the primary mineral abnormality in two herds characterised by retained placenta and weak neonates. Copper deficiency was implicated in a third herd manifesting hypopigmentation, diarrhoea, and poor growth. A fourth herd with recurrent grass tetany was confirmed as hypomagnesaemic based on serum values below 0.7 mmol/L. Pasture mineral analyses corroborated the serum findings and identified soil-induced mineral antagonism as a contributing factor. Targeted supplementation programmes were designed based on the profiling outcomes, with follow-up monitoring conducted at eight weeks. Herd-level clinical outcomes improved in all four supplemented herds within the monitoring period. This study demonstrates the diagnostic and management value of serum mineral profiling in addressing multi-herd production disease problems in North Central Nigeria. Keywords: serum minerals, production disease, selenium, copper, Benue State.