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Micronutrients And Animal Nutrition And The Link Between The Application Of Micronutrients To Crops And Animal Health, George E. J. Fisher

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Micronutrients (or 'trace elements') are required in animal diets for health and welfare, and therefore they are essential for the agricultural production of milk, meat, fibre, and eggs. It is clear from the literature that deficiencies of micronutrients, particularly in their sub-clinical form where they are not visually apparent, can result in major reductions in productivity. Micronutrients are used mostly as the central elements of enzymes and co-enzymes in the biochemistry of ruminants and monogastrics. Thus, their deficiency often leads to sub-optimal growth and fertility. Within the farming system, the aim should be to only use supplementation with micronutrients where …