Deficiencies in vitamin E and/or selenium can result in a number of issues related to normal growth as well as to the health of cattle, particularly newly weaned calves. Selenium deficiency in newborn calves can result in white muscle disease, as well as in retained placentas in newly calved cows. As selenium is a trace mineral, daily requirements are extremely low and listed as 0.1 parts per million in the 2016 Nutrient Requirements for Beef Cattle (NRBC) publication. While this is an extremely small requirement, it is important to remember that many areas of North America have soils that are selenium deficient and if cattle are not supplemented, deficiencies can occur.
