Feeding nanoparticles of copper oxide coated with lysine with or without added antagonists affects the copper status but not the performance of Holstein dairy cows

The apparent absorption of copper (Cu) in ruminants is low, with between 0.01 and 0.07 g/g absorbed from sources such as copper oxide (CuO) under typical feeding conditions, resulting in high levels of excretion. Improving the bioavailability of Cu could reduce the supplemental amount required to maintain Cu status…