Using Nutrition to Improve Immunity against Disease in Dairy Cattle: Copper, Zinc, Selenium, and Vitamin E

Using nutrition to increase a cow’s defense against infection has been a recent area of research. Vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, selenium, copper, and zinc, when properly supplemented, can enhance a cow’s immunity against diseases, such as mastitis, by increasing resistance to infections and by decreasing severity of infections when they do occur. This publication addresses the role of vitamin E, selenium, copper, and zinc in improving immune function. Cow requirements for vitamins and minerals are influenced by several factors, including age, stage of pregnancy, and stage of lactation. Figure 1 shows that, for some vitamins and minerals, the amount required for optimal immune response is greater than the amount required for growth and reproduction. Cattle can have sufficient vitamin and mineral intake for adequate growth and reproductive performance but not have optimal immune performance. By the time clinical signs of deficiency become apparent, immunity, growth, and fertility already may have been compromised.