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| Advantages
in Beef & Dairy Cattle |
Micronutrients TBCC®
(TBCC) is an improved source of nutritional copper for animal
feed that offers particular advantages in beef cattle. These
advantages include improved physical handling properties,
uniformity of distribution in a mixture and reduced losses
of vitamins. However, the most important advantage is that
TBCC facilitates more consistent and reliable maintenance
of optimal copper status in the cattle, and therefore improves
overall animal performance.
Both copper deficiency (hypocuprosis) and toxicity can be
serious problems in ruminants. As a result, nutritionists
face a constant challenge to maintain copper status. Different
dietary sources affect copper absorption and therefore change
the level of copper supplementation needed to maintain healthy
performance. Copper absorption will be different for cattle
consuming cereals, grasses, forage crops and silage (Suttle,
1996).
More importantly, both sulfur and molybdenum are antagonistic
to copper absorption, requiring a sophisticated approach to
supplementation based on analysis of dietary source(s) and
adjustment when shifts occur (Suttle, 1996). One practical
illustration of the challenge was shown in a copper supplementation
project conducted by six cow/calf producers in southeastern
Ohio from July, 1994 through September, 1996 (Vollborn, 1997).
Mineral premix copper levels were raised to overcome forage
which contained low copper as well as high molybdenum and
sulfur. Positive responses during the two-year trial included
improved overall performance, improved calf weaning weight
and less problems with weak cows at calving.
Predictable
Bioavailability
Repeated testing in monogastric species has shown TBCC to
be inherently highly bioavailable - 104 to 125% compared to
copper sulfate (Miles, et al, 1998), (Cromwell, et al, 1998),
(Hooge, et al, 2000). The challenge in ruminants is to avoid
antagonistic reactions in the rumen that interfere with subsequent
absorption. Highly water soluble sources, such as copper sulfate
and many organic complexes, expose the copper to competitive
reactions in the rumen. Copper sulfate is particularly ineffective
since it contributes enough sulfur to chemically bind the
copper (Berger, 1999). Since TBCC is insoluble in water, it
successfully bypasses the neutral pH environment in the rumen
and is therefore available for the extractive reactions in
the abomasum and subsequent downstream absorption. When using
a water soluble copper source, the nutritionist must frequently
overdose with the supplementation program to allow for the
impact of the primary dietary source on absorption.
If the diet shifts toward reduced antagonism, there is a distinct
possibility of copper toxicity impacting performance. TBCC
allows far less manipulation to hit the window between toxicity
and deficiency. A study conducted by Dr. Jerry W. Spears at
the Department of Animal Science of North Carolina State University
consisted of two parts. Experiment I determined TBCC’s bioavailability
relative to copper sulfate at 121% based on plasma copper
or 118% based on plasma ceruloplasmin in steers fed diets
high in molybdenum and sulfur. Experiment II showed TBCC’s
bioavailability relative to copper sulfate was 107 or 116%
on the same basis when supplemented to steers deficient in
copper. Dr. Spears concluded that because of its "low solubility
in water, (basic) copper chloride may interact with molybdenum
to a lesser extent in the rumen and this in turn could explain
the higher copper bioavailability."
Thus, in practice TBCC provides cattle nutritionists with
a much wider window of safety when setting supplementation
levels. This raises the statistical probability of achieving
optimal animal performance and therefore economic returns.
Physical Advantages
The physical characteristics of TBCC provide a number of benefits.
TBCC is a highly concentrated, neutral mineral salt and therefore
is required in smaller quantities, handles easily and safely
and distributes more uniformly throughout the feed.
TBCC Characteristic/Benefit
| Characteristic |
Benefit |
| Non-hygroscopic |
No
clumping or hardening |
| Small
particle size |
Uniform
distribution in feed |
| Uniform
particle size |
Improved
flowability |
| Neutral
mineral salt |
No
burning or stinging |
| High
Cu concentration |
Less
bag handling and disposal |
|
TBCC’s
neutrality, stability and lower reactivity make it ideal for
creating stable, reliable mineral premixes.
Vitamin
Stability
Several studies at the University of Florida showed that TBCC
has less prooxidant activity than copper sulfate. One study
found TBCC to have significantly less oxidation/reduction
potential than copper sulfate.
Another study evaluated samples of complete feed for the rate
and intensity of oxidation reactions and showed that TBCC
is clearly a less active compound than copper sulfate. A 1997
study at the PARC Institute showed that losses during pelleting
of Vitamins A, E and Riboflavin (measured in feed) are all
reduced (6, 10 and 5% less loss respectively) when a high
level of TBCC was added to the diet. Similarly, 30% more Vitamin
E was measured in the livers of chickens on the high-TBCC
diet than on the low-copper control diet. Another study completed
in 1999 at PARC indicates that high copper from either copper
sulfate or TBCC improved the level of Vitamin E reaching the
liver. This seems to imply that copper’s antimicrobial activity
may be an important factor in reducing vitamin losses during
or after pelleting. However, TBCC gave a higher vitamin sparing
effect at ALL levels of copper in the diets as measured in
feed, blood and liver samples. This difference seems likely
to be related to TBCC’s fundamentally lower prooxident activity.
TBCC’s lower reactivity and resulting sparing effect on numerous
important vitamins contributes to better health. More vitamins
improve the elimination of free radicals, aid the functioning
of the animal’s own immune system and facilitates overall
good health.
References
Suttle,
N. F., 1976. Copper deficiency overview with particular reference
to copper-molybdenum-sulfur (CuxMoxS) interaction in ruminants.
In: Proceedings of the Copper and Health in Ruminants Symposium
organized by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American
Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, Seattle, WA, May
25, 1996.
Vollborn, E.M., 1997. Copper supplementation for beef cows
in southeastern Ohio demonstration project. In: Proceedings
of the American Forage & Grassland Council Conference, Vol
6:294-296, Fort Worth, TX, April, 1997.
Miles, R. D., et al, 1998. The effect of dietary supplementation
with copper sulfate or tribasic copper chloride on broiler
performance, relative bioavailability and dietary prooxidant
activity. Poultry Sci. 77:416-425
Cromwell, G. L., et al, 1998. Tribasic copper chloride and
copper sulfate as copper sources for weanling pigs. J. Anim.
Sci. 76:118-123.
Hooge, D. M., Steward, F. A., McNaughton, J. L., 2000. Bioavailability
of copper from tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) compared to
copper sulfate pentahydrate in broiler chicken diets. Presented:
International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA, Jan,
2000.
Berger, L.L., 1999. Sulfur nutrition affects copper requirements.
Salt & Trace Minerals, published by the Salt Institute, Vol.
31, No.2, Fall 1999.
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