| abstract |
In general, this invention relates to a micronutrient supplement that can be used in food or in animal feeds and to a method fo enhancing the growth of animals using the micronutrient. The micronutrient supplement includes a basic salt of an essential metal. The essential metal can be formulated as a pharmaceutically acceptable basic salt that includes a divalent or trivalent cation of an essential metal, a pharmaceutically acceptable anion and a hydroxyl moiety. Representative essential metals for use in this invention include: Magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, cobalt, iron and chromium. When provided as a metal salt, the essential metal is highly bioavailable to enhance the survivability, growth, health and/or reproductivity of animals. The micronutrient supplement can be administered to animals either as a single supplement or admixed with other nutrients or feeds. |