To make accurate formulation adjustments, dairy producers need to assay their feed and silage for nutritional content and level of mycotoxin contamination prior to feeding. As an alternative to increasing the amount of trace minerals in feed, a growing number of dairymen are replacing part of the inorganic trace minerals with organic trace minerals. Organic trace minerals appear to be more efficiently absorbed than inorganic forms. Many nutritionists incorporate clays into feeds in an attempt to bind mycotoxins and reduce their effect. Though research has indicated they can be useful, they are not a perfect answer.
Clays have the potential to bind vitamins and nutrients.
Clays are used at high levels and have no nutritional value. Because clays are not digestible, they are excreted in the manure and accumulate in the bottom of manure lagoons, shortening the life of liquid manure holding systems. Some producers have reported that clay, when excreted in the manure, makes concrete floors slippery, creating potential injury for cattle and workers. EGM is derived from the cell wall of a specific strain of yeast. Compared to traditional clays, EGM has a much lower inclusion rate, an excellent nutritional profile, and it does not bind vitamins and minerals.