Minlink - A New Concept In Mineral Feeding For Dairy Cows
Minlink, is a unique tool that has been developed to determine the optimum level of mineral supplements for dairy cows.
Previously, minerals have been supplied to accommodate deficiencies in the basal diet. The benefit of the Minlink system is that it enables the supply of available minerals – from both the basal diet or through mineral supplements - to be calculated. This helps to gauge the correct supply, as the availability of minerals in soya, for example, will be quite different to those found in grass silage. It also overcomes the problem of over-supply and wastage - which may damage the environment and costs money.
The optimum supply is achieved through a Premix Adequacy Model (PAM). It offers a choice of three Maxcare mineral supplements to balance the diet, both based on availability. So in practice, Minlink may suggest that 200g per day of a standard mineral is required to balance the diet, but that 120g of a mineral with a higher bio availability would suffice. The choice would depend on a variety of factors such as local conditions, feeds used, cost and environmental considerations.