An off-the-cuff chin wag about the benefits of including zinc in cattle feeding programs piqued farrier Ash Morris’ curiosity for Austasia Animal Products’ specific organic trace mineral, ZinMet.
Between running his own Shorthorn stud and hoof trimming business, Ash has seen first-hand the impact poor hoof health can have on the wellbeing of cattle.
Ash works with dairy and beef cattle operations throughout New South Wales and Queensland with his own business, Morris Hoof Trimming, providing quality maintenance and care.
“When servicing dairy cattle, we work hard to keep their hooves in the best condition to avoid the impact lameness and involuntary culling can have on production,” he says.
“I first learnt about ZinMet after a conversation with a mate who was working at Austasia Animal Products at the time, and I thought I would check it out for myself.”
After implementing ZinMet, Ash noticed small improvements to the overall wellbeing of the animals being treated with the specific organic trace mineral.
“The most notable changes I’ve seen in the animals treated with ZinMet would be the improvements to the skin and hair of our own cattle,” he says.
“One of my clients in Central Queensland also uses ZinMet in their feeding program, and they’ve noticed a change for the better in the hoof integrity and overall growth of their cattle.”
ZinMet is a combined source of specific organic trace minerals - zinc and chromium bound to methionine. The unique complexation of minerals to a specific organic escort bypasses rumen degradation at a rate of approximately 80 per cent, making ZinMet more readily available for absorption through the gastrointestinal tract.
"Research has shown ZinMet to reduce incidences of lameness by up to 43%."
AAP National Business Manager Paul Lloyd
“ZinMet helps reduce lameness in treated animals and also boosts their immune health, which results in improved wound healing, increased epithelial tissue repair, accelerated hoof growth, hoof hardening, and enhanced cellular integrity,” Paul says.
After seeing the improvements in his own herd, Ash now recommends ZinMet to his own clients, many of whom now use it in their own operations, plus quite a lot of feed companies that supply his customers also use ZinMet in their rations.
Ash says there’s a noticeable difference in the condition of cattle treated with ZinMet, with their skin being shinier and their feet being visibly healthier in general.
“The most notable results I have seen have been in bulls. Bulls treated with ZinMet could have stronger and healthier hooves in beasts as young as 14 to 18 months and older,” he said.
“We encourage our customers to use ZinMet as a strategy to stimulate better hoof health, skin and hair growth, and overall wellbeing as a precaution and prevention measure. The key is to be proactive, not reactive.
“I believe in ZinMet’s benefits and recommend it for anyone trying to improve their cattle’s overall wellbeing and keep their livestock’s production on the ‘front foot’.”
Learn more about our specific organic trace mineral additive and its benefits for dairy cattle.
Please be aware this article contains graphic images of a severely lame horse’s hoof. Discretion is advised.
Tracey Mallia first discovered Zinmet® in 2020, while treating a formerly competitive dressage horse with long-running, severe hoof problems.
Based in Nar Nar Goon, Victoria, Tracey runs a shockwave and pulse electrotherapy business treating horses for a range of conditions and injuries.
Her husband, Tony, is a farrier with over 40 years experience in the industry. Together, they offer equine services to a broad catchment area across Victoria and New South Wales.
Buddy, a 14-year-old thoroughbred, came to their stable with extremely severe damage to his hooves, due to an incorrect diagnosis from another specialist.
“He was being treated for laminitis, which actually developed as a result of an incorrect diagnosis,” says Tracey.
When his owner reached out to Tracey, Buddy hadn’t been able to stand for two weeks due to the pressure and inflammation in his hooves.
“It was the worst case of sloughing I’ve ever seen,” Tracey continues.
“I told his owner that I couldn’t make any promises, but we would try to find a way to help him.”
“We ended up in contact with a UK-based vet who gave us some solutions to help ease Buddy’s pain, however we weren’t seeing any real improvement from the hoof itself.”
Tracey’s next step was to put the word out via Facebook, sharing photos of Buddy’s condition and asking for any recommendations about potential treatment.
Austasia Animal Products team member, Liam Grantham, responded to her enquiry and provided Tracey with a range of clinical literature published on Zinmet® and its benefits.
“By that point, we had to try something or accept that Buddy wasn’t going to recover,” Tracey said.
Tracey also notes that Buddy was on a nutritionist-recommended exclusion diet, ensuring that the laminitis was not being inflamed by anything in his feed.
“We started Buddy on Zinmet® and the improvements began to show after that supplement was introduced.”
“Initially he was dosed twice a day with his feeds, 2 tablespoons per feed,” she continues.
“The extent of his illness would normally have taken around 18 months to fully heal, but with Zinmet® it was under control after just three months.”
“We then dropped his dose back to 1 tablespoon a day, and around 12 months after he arrived we sent him home and he’s back under saddle and fully sound.”
Tracey now distributes Zinmet® to her clients as needed, and uses it every day to optimise her own horses’ health (dosing ≈1 tablespoon per horse per day).
“Even during the wet season my horses can be up to their knees in water and their hooves will stay strong and healthy thanks to their daily dose of Zinmet®,” said Tracey.
AAP manufacturers Zinmet®, a combined source of organic trace minerals, Zinc and Chromium, bound to methionine which increases the absorption of these minerals through the gastrointestinal tract. Suitable for cattle and sheep, research-based evidence confirms Zinmet®'s ability to improve average daily gain, feed conversion efficiency, better stress tolerance and reduce hoof problems.
