Effects of milk fortification with an advanced chelated trace minerals supplement on growth, health, and nutrient digestibility in dairy calves.

Abstract

Objective: Recent advancements in Chelate Compound technology offer improved bioavailability of trace minerals, potentially enhancing growth performance and reducing disease incidence. Milk fortification provides an efficient way to supplement young calves before they transition to solid feed. This study evaluated the response of dairy calves to milk fortification with an advanced chelated trace minerals supplement containing Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Co, Cr, and Se, each selected for their specific roles in calf development, synthesized using Chelate Compounds technology.

Methods: Forty-two Holstein dairy calves (21 male and 21 female) were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: control (CON, unfortified milk), chelated minerals (BON, milk fortified with chelated trace minerals), and inorganic minerals (IOR, milk fortified with inorganic trace minerals). Calves received their respective milk treatments daily from d 3 until weaning at 70 d of age. Growth performance and body measurements were measured throughout the experimental, while rectal temperature, fecal consistency, and frequency of medical treatment were recorded until d 21. Blood metabolites and nutrient digestibility were also determined.

Results: BON showed significant positive effects on body weight and some body measurements, with trends towards improved average daily gain and feed efficiency. The calves in BON group showed a lower fecal consistency index and lower frequency of medical treatments compared to CON and IOR. Lower globulin levels as well as higher levels of albumin and albumin/globulin ratio were observed in BON compared to the other two groups. The activities of liver enzymes were higher in IOR than BON and CON group.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that milk fortification with advanced chelated trace minerals have the potential to improve growth performance and health in dairy calves, while inorganic sources showed no benefits. Further research is needed to determine optimal supplementation levels and long-term effects on health and productivity of dairy calves.