In today’s cattle market, the stakes have never been higher. Feedlot cattle face stress from transport, commingling, weather changes and new environments. All these stressors can compromise immune function. When stressed or immunocompromised, cattle reduce their feed intake, which also limits their ability to absorb essential nutrients at the very moment they need them most.
The question for cattle producers becomes simple: How can you support immune function without overcomplicating management?
Why Immune Support Matters During Stress
Trace minerals, such as zinc, copper and manganese, play critical roles in the immune response. They help activate immune cells, support enzyme systems and contribute to the body’s natural ability to defend against pathogens.
But here’s the challenge: the sickest calves are often the least likely to pay a visit to the bunk. Reduced feed intake means reduced mineral consumption, which can suppress immune response at the worst possible time.
Supporting immune function is not about replacing treatments. It is about giving calves the nutritional tools they need to respond effectively. Zinpro ProFusion delivers highly bioavailable and bioeffective trace minerals that help calves build and strengthen their own natural immune defenses, working alongside existing health protocols.
It’s Not Just About Bioavailability, It’s About Bioefficacy
Zinpro ProFusion is built with Zinpro® ProPath®, providing trace minerals complexed to essential amino acids. These amino acids serve as a “vehicle” that help deliver minerals into cells where they can do meaningful work, like optimizing immunity. While bioavailability measures what gets absorbed into the bloodstream, Zinpro technology goes beyond that to focus on bioefficacy — whether those nutrients actually reach tissues and improve measurable outcomes.
Research shows Zinpro trace minerals are absorbed more efficiently and are retained in tissues at significantly higher rates compared to inorganic sources.1 This enhanced delivery translates into real-world performance metrics that cattle producers care about, including health outcomes, growth and survivability.
A Practical Tool at a Critical Moment
Zinpro ProFusion is a convenient immune support oral drench designed for use to provide immune support at critical stress points, such as when a calf is pulled for treatment. A single 30 mL dose delivers highly bioavailable and bioeffective zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and vitamin E with amino acids to support immune function during the peak challenge window. Zinpro ProFusion is also available in a paste to provide an alternative oral immune support delivery method.
Research across commercial feedlots has demonstrated a 20% reduction in case fatality rate among calves treated with Zinpro ProFusion.2 In practical terms, that means saving one out of every five calves that otherwise may have been lost during a respiratory disease outbreak.
At an approximately $2 investment per dose, the return on investment can exceed 20:1, even at conservative calf values. For producers managing high-value cattle, that kind of economic impact matters.
Simple, Effective and Complementary
Importantly, Zinpro ProFusion serves as a complement to other health tools like vaccines or antimicrobial therapies. By delivering essential trace minerals and amino acids at the right time, it helps enhance a calf’s natural immune response and supports overall resilience.
Immune challenges in feedlot cattle are not unique to one region or system. Wherever calves are transported, commingled and exposed to new stressors, immune support becomes critical.
For producers looking for a practical, easy-to-apply solution grounded in decades of Zinpro® Performance Minerals® research, Zinpro ProFusion offers a targeted way to help cattle thrive when they need it most.
Speak to your Zinpro representative or visit the Zinpro® ProFusion® page to learn more.
References:
1 Smerchek, D. T., Branine, M. E., McGill, J. L., & Hansen, S. L. Effects of supplemental zinc concentration and trace mineral source on immune function and associated biomarkers of immune status in weaned beef calves received into a feedlot. 2023. Journal of Animal Science, 101.
2 Zinpro ProFusion Drench Research. ZSP123. Zinpro Corporation.
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