Copper deficiency causes significant economic losses where it occurs.
Regardless of the reason for the copper deficiency, the problems exhibited by the animals are the same. The problems seen will vary from herd to herd and are not easily predictable. However, when copper deficiency does occur, it invariably causes losses in production, health, and profits. The most commonly observed results of copper deficiency in cattle are diarrhea and poor weight gains, particularly in calves. It is easy to see that copper nutrition in cattle can be complicated by a number of factors.