Complexed Trace Minerals and SCC Reduction

Increasing the zinc status of lactating dairy cattle by feeding Zinpro complexed zinc has been shown to reduce somatic cell counts (SCC). In a summary of 12 trials, cows receiving complexed zinc produced milk with a 33% reduction in SCC (an average of 98,000 less SCC), (1, 23, 31, 34, 42, 56, 58, 60; Figure 11).

Figure 11.

Copper plays an important role in immune function. In mice, a copper deficiency has been shown to impair both humoral and cell-mediated immunity (51). Research has shown that increasing copper status by feeding complexed copper improves udder health. In a study conducted at Texas A&M, copper depleted beef cows fed 40 and 80 ppm of copper from complexed copper had lower SCC levels in colostrum than copper depleted beef cows fed 0 and 20 ppm of complexed copper (565,000 and 379,000 vs. 1,746,000 and 1,628,000, respectively; (5). It should be noted that routinely supplementing 40 and 80 ppm of copper is not recommended. However this study does illustrate that if cows do not have adequate copper status at calving, they are more prone to mastitis.

Manganese also plays an important role in immune response as it removes superoxide radicals from the body (33). Superoxide radicals disrupt cellular membranes and causes cellular damage.

In a study recently completed on the South Island of New Zealand (26), cows fed a combination of complexed zinc, manganese, copper and cobalt had fewer mastitis cases and produced milk with a numerically lower raw SCC (Table 5).

Table 5. Effect of Zinpro Complexes^a on Milk Production, Milk Composition and SCC (26).