Reaction cements as materials for the sustained release of trace elements into the digestive tract of cattle and sheep. I. Copper release.

Acid-base reaction cements were produced by reacting copper oxide with phosphoric acid. When placed in the reticulo-rumen of cattle and sheep these cements released copper into the digestive tract for at least 3 months at a rate sufficient to provide the animals' requirements for copper. Lambs given a pellet of cement at 3 months of age had significantly greater concentrations of copper in their livers than similar untreated animals when slaughtered 3-4 months later. It was shown that salts of cobalt and selenium could be incorporated into the cement to provide additional supplementation with these two elements.