Zinc Supplementation - In Feed
Zinc can be supplemented to cattle as Zinc Oxide mixed into feed, either via the meal in in-shed feeders or on the feed pad as part of a mixed ration.
Zinc Oxide is given at a rate of 3g/100kglw so as with water supplementation weighing a representative sample of your herd to give an accurate average is an important starting point.
Dosing guide
1) Weigh herd to get a mob average
2) Calculate daily requirement of Zinc based on 3g/100kgslw
Av liveweight (kg) /100 x 3 x number cows
3) Factor in feed wastage
Multiply above amount by 1.05 for in shed feeding or 1.1 for feed pad feeding to account for 5-10% wastage
4) Tell you feed rep/order in Zinc
5) Start feeding zinc once farm spore counts trend >30,000
6) Blood sample cattle 2-3 weeks after starting programme to see if your programme is working
Common Pitfalls
- Poor mixing of minerals throughout TMR – leads to insufficient distribution of zinc amongst cattle
- Feed wastage not accounted for and thus underdosing
- Cows that refuse meal in the shed – need to find another way to supplement these
- Insufficient space on feedpad leading to some animals not receiving their full dose of mineral