ISSUE FOCUS 46 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2026 Trace minerals play a critical role in dairy cow health, performance, and fertility, yet emerging data suggest that oversupply—rather than deficiency—is increasingly common in modern dairy rations. Across production systems, imprecise mineral supplementation can quietly undermine reproductive efficiency, metabolic stability, and sustainability. Rethinking trace mineral strategies through a precision nutrition lens is becoming essential for balancing animal health, economic efficiency, and environmental responsibility. Trace minerals have long been recognized as essential components of dairy cow nutrition. They are vital for immunity, fertility, enzyme function, and metabolic stability. Yet new studies show that many dairy production systems are facing over supplementation rather than deficiencies in minerals. Across regions and production environments, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) are routinely supplied far above a cow’s actual requirements, with consequences that reach beyond the farm gate. Recent research and precision nutrition initiatives led by Trouw Nutrition have brought this issue sharply into focus, prompting a shift in the way formulators and nutritionists approach trace mineral strategies. The push toward sustainability, coupled with rising feed costs and increasing regulatory pressure, makes mineral accuracy, not excess, a priority. A WIDESPREAD, UNDERESTIMATED CHALLENGE Multiple global surveys reveal a consistent trend: dairy diets commonly contain mineral levels far above NASEM 2021 guideline recommendations. In a large data set of 139 herds in California and eastern Canada, average copper levels were found to be 70–80% above the requirement for a 32kg milk lactating cow. Similar cases have been documented across Europe, with dairy cows often accumulating excessive copper reserves in the liver, frequently without visible clinical signs until levels approach toxicity. This pattern is not unique to copper. Zinc and manganese, while less prone to toxicity, also display chronic overinclusion in many rations. The root causes are well known to formulators: • Wide variability in mineral content of forages and byproducts • Fear of antagonistic interactions (iron, sulfur, molybdenum) • Historic emphasis on preventing deficiency at all costs • Limited or irregular trace mineral testing • Premixes designed with generous safety margins RETHINKING TRACE MINERALS IN DAIRY NUTRITION Gavin Boerboom Category Director Trace Minerals Trouw Nutrition
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