Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a major challenge in the beef cattle industry. Responsible for about 75% of feedlot morbidity1 and 50-70% of feedlot deaths2, BRD leads to an estimated $800 million to $900 million in annual losses.
A proactive approach to managing BRD is crucial and one of the most effective strategies is boosting cattle immunity through proper nutrition. Trace minerals such as zinc and manganese are essential for immune function and help cattle respond more effectively. Zinpro® Performance Minerals® provide these essential components, strengthening cattle immunity, promoting faster recovery and supporting optimal growth. Prioritizing trace mineral nutrition in the feedlot is a proven way to minimize the impact of BRD -related losses and improve overall performance.
Understanding the Impact of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Feedlots
Impact on Feedlot Economics
BRD is a major financial burden on feedlots. When it comes to BRD associated losses, 21% of losses are from treatment costs and 79% are due to reduced carcass weight and lower-quality grades. Cattle affected by BRD are more expensive to produce and hang less on the rail.
| Lower Carcass Quality | More Expensive Production |
|---|---|
| • 8.4% less carcass weight | • 8% increased production cost³ |
| • 24.7% more USDA Standard quality grade carcasses | • 3% decrease in Average Daily Gain (ADG)⁴ |
| • Over $111 per sick animal⁵ |
Health and Productivity Concerns
BRD weakens the immune system, triggering inflammation and fever that diverts nutrients away from performance. While fevers play an important role in fighting infection, they also harm cattle productivity by:
- Reducing feed intake
- Lowering ADG
- Hindering growth and muscle development
Proactively managing BRD through improved immune support can help protect profitability and mitigate these effects by enhancing cattle resilience and performance.
Enhancing Cattle Immunity with Zinpro Trace Minerals
The Importance of Early Immune Support
Early immune support is key to managing BRD, especially as calves transition to feedlots. Ensuring proper trace mineral nutrition from the start is key to helping cattle build a strong immune foundation.
Feeding Zinpro Performance Minerals year-round in cow/calf operations can improve the cattle’s ability to mount a strong immune response against BRD. Meeting the cow’s requirement of trace minerals throughout pregnancy can boost colostrum quality, which is vital for calf immunity. A research study revealed that calves born to cows fed Zinpro® Availa® 4 during the third trimester had a significant reduction in BRD treatment rates once they reached the feedlot.
Role of Trace Minerals
Zinc and manganese are crucial for building a robust immune system in cattle. By ensuring cattle receive adequate amounts of these trace minerals, producers can enhance immune response at critical stages of an animal’s life.
Zinpro® has been shown to enhance the efficiency of the immune response in calves already affected by respiratory challenges, including Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus (IBRV), a common BRD pathogen. In a study where calves were exposed to IBRV, those fed Zinpro Performance Minerals exhibited a more efficient immune response. These calves recovered faster and could return to gaining weight and growing without the long-term setbacks that often accompany BRD.
Implementing a Preventative Strategy with Trace Minerals in Feedlots
Incorporating Zinpro Products
Incorporating Zinpro trace minerals into your feedlot’s nutrition program is an effective way to prevent BRD and improve overall cattle health. By supplementing cattle diets with Zinpro Performance Minerals, feedlot operators can support strong immune function and resilience, helping cattle better withstand the stressors that can lead to BRD. If calves do face a health challenge in the feedlot, Zinpro® ProFusion® Drench restores depleted nutrients so calves can recover faster and require less treatment.
Partnering with Zinpro is not just a health investment; it’s an economic one. Research shows that incorporating Zinpro Performance Minerals, feedlots can minimize the impacts of BRD on cattle performance and experience lower BRD treatment rates, reduced labor cost and improved profitability.
Measuring Success
To gauge the effectiveness of trace mineral nutrition, it’s important to monitor key health and performance metrics. Tracking these metrics will help you see how this nutrition strategy is supporting your cattle and give you a clearer picture on your return on investment.
Key metrics to monitor include:
- BRD treatment rate
- Feed intake
- ADG
- Carcass weight
- Carcass quality
- Mortality rates
BRD remains a major challenge for feedlots, with the highest number of related deaths occurring within the first 45 days after cattle arrive. But with proactive management and early intervention, cattle can continue to thrive and avoid the costly treatment, reduced weight gain and increased mortality associated with BRD.
Providing proven trace mineral nutrition, cattle can mount more effective immune responses and maintain better feed intake and growth, reducing both treatment costs and long-term performance losses.
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