Zinc is an essential mineral added to livestock diets to support growth and efficient nutrient use. This study compared a novel zinc oxide product with zinc sulfate, a commonly used zinc supplement, to evaluate how effectively each source would be utilized by wethers. Researchers measured how much zinc the wethers absorbed and retained, as well as the effects of zinc supplementation on diet digestibility and nitrogen utilization. Results showed the wethers supplemented with either zinc source performed similarly to each other and better than the lambs that received no zinc, indicating both sources effectively provided zinc to the wethers. In addition, zinc supplementation improved nitrogen absorption. These findings suggest that the novel zinc oxide is an effective alternative to zinc sulfate and that the addition of dietary zinc can improve nitrogen utilization in lambs.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.