The need for mineral supplementation has long been established. Minerals are needed for normal tissue growth, enzyme function, cell regulation, homeostasis, and immune function. Overall animal performance can be negatively affected when the diet lacks sufficient quantities or mineral ratios are incorrect. Inadequate dietary intake of minerals has been associated with reduced forage intake, lower reproductive efficiency, lower gains, poorer feed efficiency, and lower disease resistance. The investment in a sound mineral program can reap dividends in terms of:

• Immune system function

• Reproduction

• Forage digestibility

• Feed efficiency

• Body weight gain – body condition score of brood cows and growth of calves, replacements, and stockers

It is not uncommon for mineral supplements to be exposed to rain, snow, and wind when fed in open troughs or tires. Such exposure to the “elements” can lead to nutrient loss due to leaching after a rain and/or small mineral particles being blown away by the wind. Mineral supplementation is too important from a production and economic standpoint to ignore potential environmental losses. ADM Alliance Nutrition research data indicates that leaching of minerals in competitive products is as high as 7% of the total mineral package. This represents a substantial mineral loss due to precipitation.

The initiation of mineral research started with MoorMan’s® and led to commercialization of the patented OptiCor® process for weatherization of minerals. ADM Alliance Nutrition continues the legacy and leadership role of mineral research through the development of the new, exclusive WeatherMaster® process for weatherization of minerals. The ADM Alliance Nutrition research team developed the WeatherMaster process of protecting minerals using natural sourced ingredients from ADM.

To validate the weatherization benefits of WeatherMaster, ADM researchers evaluated mineral leaching against the OptiCor process and eight competitive minerals. Seventy-five grams (approximately 2.5 ounces) of each mineral supplement was placed in a cylinder, which had a screen sized only large enough to allow water to run through the mineral (no mineral particles were allowed to escape the cylinder). Two-hundred fifty ml (approximately one quart) of deionized water was poured into each cylinder, and the escaping water was collected for analysis. Collected water samples were analyzed for calcium, phosphorus, salt, copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and manganese content. Figure 1 illustrates the improvement in mineral retention of WeatherMaster in comparison to the OptiCor process. The WeatherMaster process reduces mineral loss by 39% compared to OptiCor.

The amount of minerals lost in the WeatherMaster mineral sample was 60% less in comparison to the average of the eight competitor minerals tested (Figure 2).

The amount of increased mineral loss in the eight competitor mineral samples ranged from a low of 57% to 315.5% compared to WeatherMaster losses (Figure 3).

   

Mineral supplementation pays. Return on investment can be evaluated in terms of better gains and reproductive efficiency, the ability to digest forages more thoroughly and efficiently, and better immune response. WeatherMaster helps ensure minerals don’t get washed away so cattle can receive the proper nutrition in every bite, rain or shine.