Effect of using organic complexes of Mn, Zn and Cu (compound with glycine- or methionine-) instead of sulphate forms (equal to or twice NRC recommendation) on health, fertility and blood metabolites of dairy cows and calves

Effect of supplementing organic complexes (compound with glycine or methionine) of Mn, Zn and Cu compared with sulphate forms (equal to or twice NRC recommendation) on health, fertility and blood metabolites of dairy cows and suckling calves was assessed. Two months before calving, 60 pregnant Holstein cows were divided to six experimental groups in a randomized complete block design. Six diets containing 1. Mn, Zn and Cu-sulphate at NRC levels, 2. Mn, Zn and Cu-glycine at NRC levels, 3. Mn, Zn and Cu-methionine at NRC levels, 4. Mn, Zn and Cu-sulphate twice NRC, 5. Mn, Zn and Cu-glycine twice NRC, and 6. Mn, Zn and Cu-methionine twice NRC, were fed ad libitum. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) of colostrum and blood, metritis, mastitis, retained placenta, lameness, ketosis, ovarian cysts, calf mortality, fertility and blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol (five blood sampling; from day 60 before calving to day 100 after calving) were determined. Feeding organic mineral complexes instead of sulphate form had no effects on IgG, fertility and blood metabolites of cows and calves, but decreased mastitis and lameness. Also, increasing dietary levels of the trace minerals led to the decrease in incidence of mastitis and lameness, and numerical increase in IgG of colostrum, but had no effect on other variables. Overall, feeding organic complexes (methionine- or glycine-) of Mn, Zn and Cu and also increasing the minerals levels in diets of pre- and post-partum cows had positive effects on the health of the animals, without changes in fertility.

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