Patent ID: 7550504

Claim:
A process for preparing a feed supplement that promotes growth in animals comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a dry metal carboxylate of formula M(RCOOH) 2 , wherein M is a Zn 2+ or Cu 2+ cation of a divalent metal and R is H or a CH 3 (CH 2 ) 2 group, by (a) mixing a carboxylic acid with a basic salt of the divalent metal to form a first reaction mixture that undergoes an exothermic reaction to form the metal carboxylate and water, and (b) stirring to remove water; (ii) preparing a metal aminoate by (a) mixing water, a compound comprising the divalent metal, and an amino acid selected from the group consisting of glycine and methionine to form a second reaction mixture, (b) stirring the second reaction mixture to promote an exothermic reaction that forms the metal aminoate and water, and (c) removing water from the second reaction mixture; and (iii) mixing the dry metal carboxylate and the metal aminoate under conditions that form a complex comprising the metal carboxylate and the metal aminoate and water, and removing the water to form a dry metal complex of the metal carboxylate and the metal aminoate, wherein, when administered to an animal in its feed, a bioavailability of the divalent metal in the dry metal complex is different than the bioavailability of the divalent metal in either the dry metal carboxylate or the metal aminoate alone.