Research Information
Nutrition Research for Beef Cow/Calf Ranchers
A Comparison of the Effect on Reproductive Performance of Chelated
Minerals versus Non-Chelated Standard Mineral Sources Fed to First Calf
Heifers
In 1988 Dr. J.R. (Bob) Kropp, Professor of Animal Science at Oklahoma State University, performed a controlled long term research study on 37 of the OSU beef herd’s heifers. The study was designed to determine why the OSU herd was experiencing a rather poor breeding performance and if a chelated mineral supplement would show any improvement when compared to the same intake of non-chelated minerals the university had been feeding. During the study 18 heifers were fed the mineral supplement formulated by Animal Nutritionist Mark Urbanosky which contained the patented form of chelated minerals and compared it to 19 heifers which were fed the precise same daily level of daily minerals from non-chelated standard sources. The test measured the differences in the two groups all the way through from their first breeding, pregnancy and weaning of their first calves in the heifers fed chelated minerals versus the heifers fed non-chelated minerals. The mineral supplements were blended into pellets which were hand fed at the exact same levels daily to ensure the mineral levels consumed by each heifer daily were precisely the same. So the difference in the results outlined below is comparing the chelated mineral versus the same amount of mineral consumed daily in a non-chelated or standard form found in most mineral supplements. The results demonstrated the vast superiority of the chelated mineral supplement versus the standard non-chelated minerals found in most mineral supplement programs or feeds.
Difference in Heifers Exhibiting Estrus - After synchronization with Synchro-Mate B, the 18 heifers that were receiving this patented chelated mineral supplement exhibited estrus at a rate of 77.8% (14 head) versus 42.1% (8 head) of the heifers receiving the non-chelated supplement. The chelated mineral demonstrated a remarkable 54.1% difference in improved exhibition of estrus verses those not receiving the chelated mineral.
Heifers in Estrus Conceiving on First A.I. Service - 10 or (71.4%) of the 14 heifers receiving the chelated supplement conceived on the first AI service compared to the 2, or (25.0%) of the 8 heifers that cycled but were not receiving the chelated minerals which conceived on the first AI service. This shows that 5 times more heifers on the chelated supplement bred on the first AI service than those not on the non-chelated mineral supplement.
Post Days Calving to Conception - After calving the cows were rebred using the same AI techniques from 70 to 130 days post calving. The cows that were on the chelated supplement conceived at an average of 86 days post calving. The cows that were on the non-chelated supplement conceived at an average of 105 days post calving.
Weaning Weight of Calves Comparison- All of the first calf weaning weights from each group were appropriately adjusted for age to a 205 day equivalent. The calves from the cows receiving the chelated mineral supplement weaned calves which weighed an average of 575 lbs. compared to a weaning weight of 527 lbs. for the calves from cows which received the non-chelated supplement. This demonstrated an average weaning weight difference of 47 more pounds (8.34% heavier) per calf from the cows on the chelated supplement versus the calves weaned from the cows that were on the standard non-chelated supplement.
RESULTS – You don’t have to be a Professor to see the results above will provide cow/calf operations a significant amount of extra production income from less open females, extra calves and heavier and healthier weaned calves. The research proven supplements pay for themselves several times over with the thousands of dollars in extra income received from the extra production.
