Abstract
Animal feeding is one of the largest operational costs in food animal production and plays a crucial role in the health and productivity of animals. With the rapid growth of the bison industry in recent years, there is a need for targeted research to establish nutritional guidelines specific to bison. Current guidelines rely heavily on cattle data; however, preliminary evidence indicates physiological differences between bison and cattle, suggesting the need for bison-specific nutrition guidelines. This study compares the mineral intake and circulating minerals of two South Dakota bison herds with differing management strategies. The first herd was a privately owned, commercial herd was supplemented with a commercially available mineral from weaning to slaughter and further with single dose injectable during production (SUPP; n = 70). The second herd was a governmentally managed herd at Custer State Park, Custer, SD, that relied solely on natural forage with no mineral supplementation (CON; n = 80). Blood, forage, and fecal samples were analyzed for trace minerals using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Performance records, including body weight, pregnancy status, and lactation status, were also collected at the annual round up. Descriptive analyses indicated numerical differences in circulating mineral concentrations between SUPP and CON bison. Supplemented bison exhibited higher mean concentrations of Co, Mn, and Zn compared to CON animals, while Cu concentrations were similar between groups. When summarized by pregnancy status, circulating mineral concentrations were generally comparable between open and bred cows, with bred animals exhibiting slightly lower mean Cu and Mn concentrations. Pregnancy rates differed numerically between herds, with the CON herd exhibiting a higher observed pregnancy percentage. Factors such as breeding dynamics and environmental conditions likely played a role in the reproductive outcomes. These findings provide critical data for developing species-specific nutritional guidelines to optimize bison health and productivity while supporting conservation and sustainable production practices. This will allow adjustments to supplementation practices to reduce health issues, lower costs, and enhance profitability.