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Traditionally, it has been assumed practical diets fed to dairy cattle provide sufficient chromium to meet their requirements. However, research conducted over the past 20 years has shown chromium supplementation of practical diets can increase insulin sensitivity and increase cattle performance and health under certain conditions.
Providing adequate trace minerals to dairy cows is essential for high production and good health. Unfortunately, quantifying the supply of available trace minerals and their requirements is extremely difficult, which leads to a high degree of uncertainty relative to diet supplementation.
Rumen micro-organisms require trace minerals for proper function. However, most research has shown micro-organism requirements for copper, manganese and zinc are minor and much lower than those typically provided by ruminant diets.
The goal of any trace mineral program is to provide adequate but non-toxic amounts of each trace mineral required by the animal. Even marginal deficiencies of certain trace minerals can reduce feed intake and milk production, impair reproduction and reduce the immune response, leading to increased disease susceptibility.
