Fortify the Future™ Through Animal Health and Wellbeing 

As the world faces increasing demands for food with limited resources, the need to prioritize animal health and wellbeing has never been more urgent. By focusing on these key aspects, we can create a positive ripple effect for animals, people and the planet. 

Why Animal Health and Wellbeing Matter 

A growing global population and evolving consumer demands require us to use resources more efficiently and produce food in a more sustainable and ethical way. Healthy, well-cared-for farm animals are essential to this effort as they maximize productivity, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact, all while producing high-quality, nutritious end products.  

 
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) backs this up, too. They reported that better animal health, characterized by reduced mortality rates and healthier animals, leads to improved productivity and growth rates, which in turn lowers emissions. Plus, better animal welfare minimizes stressors, often linked to higher mortality and reduced fertility. 

It all Starts with Getting the Basics Right 

Animal health and well-being are closely interconnected, despite having varying definitions and interpretations. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, 2008), an animal is considered to have good welfare if it is healthy and well taken care of, and this comes down to getting the basics right.  
 
Animal welfare and animal health are therefore the result of: 

• Prevention of diseases  

• Prevention of pain and injuries 

• Access to fresh water and feed  

• Optimal and high-quality nutrition 

• Removal of fear, discomfort and stress 

• Ability to show natural behavior 
   

Trace Minerals: Small but Mighty 

Nutrition is increasingly recognized as a key contributor in animal health and wellbeing. And today, feeding animals goes beyond merely meeting basic needs – it’s about fortifying them to stay strong and healthy over time. At Zinpro, we’ve spent decades researching the impact of trace minerals on performance, health and wellbeing. The results are compelling. Just to name a few: 
 

• Pigs: Zinpro zinc led to fewer medical interventions (-5.4% antibiotics) in weaner pigs and led to reduced mortality rates (-2.7%). Optimized trace mineral nutrition also reduced sow lameness.  

• Poultry: Zinpro trace minerals reduced footpad dermatitis by 71% in broilers and improved embryo survival in breeders. 

• Ruminants: In feedlot cattle, Zinpro trace minerals help prevent liver abscesses, while in dairy cows they reduce lameness by 35%. 
   

Beyond addressing specific issues, organic trace minerals strengthen immune systems and gut health, giving young animals a better start in life and supporting those with compromised immunity or during stressful situations. By fortifying this first line of defense, we make animals more robust and resilient.  

Innovative Tools for Farm Improvement 

Our work doesn’t stop at nutrition. More than just dietary fortification, we must fortify our production practices and our methods of business operation to provide for a long, sustainable and successful future. This is why we developed cutting-edge tools to support farm-level improvements to measure, evaluate and improve health and wellbeing parameters.  
 

• Zinpro Perfect Carcass Tool®: Evaluates carcass defects in poultry, helping farmers trace issues back to nutrition and management practices, reducing waste and improving health. 

• Zinpro FirstStep® Dairy Hoof Health & Management Program: Provides dairy producers with objective metrics to assess nutrition, health and management changes over time.

• Zinpro BlueBox™: Assesses eggshell quality to improve hatchability, supporting healthier and stronger chicks and reducing production losses. 

• Zinpro Step Up® Lameness Management Program for Beef Cattle provides a systematic approach to identify and manage beef cattle lameness.  

• Zinpro Feet First® Program helps identify and prevent lameness in the swine herd, allowing to focus on the wellness of the animals and improve the efficiency of pork production. 

Working Towards a More Sustainable Future 

Healthier animals benefit everyone in the food chain, from farmers to consumers. They are more productive, efficient, and profitable, offering peace of mind to producers while meeting society’s demands for more sustainable and ethical production of animal protein. 

At Zinpro, we are committed to driving positive change by highlighting how nutrition can improve animal health and wellbeing across species. In addition, our practical tools and programs empower producers with actionable insights to make the appropriate corrective actions, all leading to better animal health and welfare.  

Together, we can Fortify the Future™, one healthier animal at a time.  

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