Building Better Herds Through Strategic Nutrition: A Conversation with ZinPro’s Bryson Williams
In the cattle business, we’re always looking for ways to improve our herds—better genetics, stronger calves, tighter breeding windows, and healthier cattle that perform from birth to harvest. But one of the most overlooked tools in a rancher’s toolbox might just be trace minerals. On a recent episode of the We Live It podcast, hosts Ty deCordova and Casey Mabry sat down with Bryson Williams, Account Manager for ZinPro®, to discuss how trace mineral nutrition impacts everything from cow fertility to calf performance and long-term herd health.
The Agricultural Foundation Behind the Science
Before diving into the technical side of trace minerals, it’s worth understanding who’s delivering this information. Bryson Williams isn’t just another feed industry representative—he grew up on a farm and ranching operation in Olton, Texas, just north of Lubbock, raising sheep, cattle, and goats. His family was deeply involved in stock shows, and he spent his youth taking care of wheat pasture cattle, processing calves, and doing all the jobs that come with a commercial cow-calf operation.
“We really hated it growing up,” Bryson admits with a laugh. “Looking back now, I’m glad we did it.”
That hands-on experience, combined with his livestock judging background at Connors State College and Texas Tech University—where he was part of the 2015 national championship livestock judging team—gives Bryson a unique perspective. He’s not just selling a product; he’s talking to fellow cattlemen about solutions he understands from personal experience.
As Ty points out, “When you go out there, that’s gotta carry a little weight. You’re just not a normal salesman just popping in there, just trying to sell them something. You understand where they’re at, what they’re doing. You understand their heartaches.”
Understanding Trace Minerals: The Microchip Analogy
So what exactly are trace minerals, and why should cow-calf producers care about them?
Bryson offers a helpful analogy: “When you think about micro minerals, think about it like a microchip in a vehicle. We really saw that during COVID. These brand new vehicles sat on the lot or an assembly line. They needed that microchip to really get to go on. If you don’t have a good microchip, things like your anti-lock brake system, your power steering, seat warmer, fuel injection—these things don’t work efficiently.”
Trace minerals—also called micro minerals—include zinc, manganese, copper, and cobalt. Unlike macro minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium that make up a larger portion of a cattle’s diet, trace minerals are needed in smaller amounts. But don’t let their “micro” status fool you. These minerals play a major role in immunity, reproduction, hoof health, hair coat quality, and overall animal performance.
ZinPro, which has been around for 54 years and operates in about 70 countries worldwide, specializes in performance trace minerals. Their products focus on getting these essential nutrients to the cellular level, where they can make the biggest impact on cattle health and productivity.
Why Trace Minerals Are Critical for Breeding Success
For commercial cow-calf producers, one of the biggest benefits of a solid trace mineral program is improved reproductive performance. In today’s cattle market, where calves are worth $2,500 to $2,600 per head, getting cows bred early and consistently has never been more valuable.
“We really push people to get cows bred early,” Bryson explains. “We want them to calve in that first window. We don’t want to calve all year round. If we can get cows bred back sooner, younger, that’s a big deal. People are buying into that—and that takes a good trace mineral program.”
The math is simple but powerful. If you improve your breed-back percentage by just 5% on a 500-head cow herd in today’s market, that’s an additional $7,500 to $13,000 in calf revenue. As Casey points out, “If you didn’t have a calf bred back from a percentage standpoint, 5% now is $150 a head across your whole cow herd versus where it would have been not much of that beforehand.”
Ty shares his own experience: “I never understood it until I dabbled in selling some of it a little bit. We sold some mineral to some guys with some Brahman cows, and it was a breed back mineral, and we tightened their window up. We raised their percentage up 20% just by putting them on a really good mineral package.”
But it’s not just about getting cows bred—it’s about getting them bred early in that first cycle. Weaning a large, uniform group of calves all at once is far more efficient and profitable than weaning small groups over three or four months. A strong trace mineral program helps achieve that tight calving window that every commercial producer is chasing.
Programming Calves for Lifetime Performance
One of the most fascinating concepts Bryson discusses is “generational nutrition”—the idea that trace mineral supplementation during gestation can program calves for lifetime performance.
“We want lifetime performance,” Bryson emphasizes. “We wanna program those calves while they’re in gestation, while those cows are bred. We don’t wanna skimp on a mineral program.”
The comparison to human prenatal vitamins is striking. Just as expecting mothers are immediately put on prenatal vitamins to support fetal development, bred cows need consistent trace mineral nutrition to support their developing calves. Lung development, bone development, immune system programming—all of these critical processes happen in utero.
“When that calf’s born, their mineral status is really depleted,” Bryson explains. “Whatever they’re programmed for in that last 30 to 45 days, that’s what they have when they’re born. Milk is not a great transfer of mineral. The first 30 to 45 days that calf is on the ground, whatever mineral status they had while they were in gestation is what they have for the first little bit of their life. So we gotta set them up early.”
This generational approach to nutrition means that the mineral program you run on your bred cows today directly impacts the health, immunity, and performance of the calves they produce—not just at weaning, but potentially all the way through the feedlot.
Managing Stress with ProFusion
Beyond reproduction, trace minerals play a crucial role in helping cattle handle stress. ZinPro’s ProFusion product is specifically designed for high-stress situations like weaning, shipping, and receiving.
“When we’re vaccinating, weaning, any kind of stress-related event that happens to a beef animal, we really deplete that bank of trace minerals,” Bryson explains. “That’s when we get sick cattle or cattle that go off feed.”
ProFusion comes as either a drench for processing large numbers of cattle or a paste for smaller operations. The product delivers elevated levels of zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt, selenium, and vitamin E. Research shows impressive results: a 20% reduction in bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and significantly fewer third pulls on sick cattle.
For cow-calf producers backgrounding their own calves or selling into value-added programs, ProFusion can strengthen calves’ immune systems during that critical weaning period. It’s not a replacement for vaccinations, but rather an ancillary treatment that works in combination with existing health protocols.
Interestingly, ProFusion has also shown reproductive benefits. In a large study with about 1,600 head of cows, researchers saw a 9% increase in reproduction when ProFusion was used at the time of CIDR placement. For purebred operations doing embryo transfer work, or commercial producers running timed AI programs, those kinds of conception rate improvements can dramatically impact the bottom line.
The Market Opportunity for Quality Cattle
All of this nutritional focus comes at a perfect time in the cattle market. After years of tight margins, cow-calf producers are finally being rewarded for doing things right.
“It’s really exciting to see these producers finally be rewarded for doing the right thing, using a good trace mineral pack, good vaccination program,” Bryson notes. “We’re at a time that these producers are being rewarded for their efforts finally.”
US beef demand is at record highs, and quality cattle are commanding premium prices. Whether you’re selling at weaning, through a video auction like those offered by LiveAg, or backgrounding cattle yourself, having a reputation for producing healthy, well-managed cattle pays dividends.
The key is consistency. As Casey emphasizes, “If people focus within their business and their operation and continuously try to improve and make things better and make cattle better and make their business move forward, long term, they’re gonna be there forever.”
Getting Started with Quality Trace Minerals
For producers interested in improving their trace mineral program, Bryson recommends starting with feed companies or distributors that carry ZinPro products. Look for products featuring Availa-4 or ProPath, and specifically seek out the “ZinPro Verified” logo, which confirms the product contains research-backed levels of trace minerals—typically seven grams per head per day.
ProFusion can be purchased through major animal health distributors like AHI, MWI, or VSI, or ordered online through Valley Vet Supply. For more information about trace mineral nutrition and specific products, visit zinpro.com.
The bottom line? Trace minerals aren’t just a line item on a feed bill—they’re an investment in herd health, reproductive efficiency, and calf performance that pays returns throughout the production cycle. In today’s high-value cattle market, can you afford not to optimize your trace mineral program?