After having promoted Mintrex Cu for sows, US-based animal nutrition company Novus has moved to focusing on piglets.
With the legislation change of January 1, 2013 coming up, sows can no longer be kept in crates for the majority of gestation. It is expected that the necessary conversion to group housing will push many breeders out of business – with a lack of pigs as a consequence.
Keeping every piglet in a litter alive is therefore essential, Marc Decoux, Novus Europe explained.
As a chelate of copper (Cu) with the amino acid methionine, Mintrex Cu, combines two ingredients which are considered beneficial to piglets. The working of copper as a bacteriostatic – and is also known to have a metabolic effect.
Trials by Novus pointed to a piglet growth of about 9% – demonstrated by a higher Cu accumulation in the liver when compared to feeding copper sulfate (CuSO4).