As feed additives: Magnesium oxide is mainly used in dairy cattle feed, followed by pig and chicken feed. Magnesium is the main intracellular cation as a coenzyme factor in enzymatic reactions and participates in major metabolic pathways in vivo, and extracellular magnesium is essential for normal nerve conduction, muscle contraction and skeletal mineral deposition in the animal body.
Utility to dairy cows:Magnesium oxide is the most widely used inorganic magnesium source in ruminant feeds, belonging to the alkalizing agent, increasing rumen pH, which can improve the uptake of blood metabolites by the mammary gland and increase the milk fat rate. Studies have shown that the addition of baking soda and magnesium oxide in the diet in proportion to each other can effectively regulate the rumen fluid pH, so that cows have a better rumen intra-environment, obtain the best production performance and feed conversion efficiency, and thus improve milk production.
Functions for chickens:Newborn chicks can only survive for a few days when fed diets completely lacking in magnesium. When fed low magnesium diets, chicks are slow growing, lethargic, panting, shortness of breath, and will show short-term spasms when startled, eventually leading to temporary coma or death. For laying hens, egg production will drop rapidly when magnesium deficiency occurs. Low blood magnesium causes a large amount of skeletal magnesium utilization, smaller eggs, lighter eggshell weight, and decreased magnesium concentration in the yolk and eggshell. Research has proved that the thicker the eggshell is, the higher the concentration of magnesium in the eggshell is. Therefore, increasing the concentration of magnesium in the diets of laying hens can improve the quality of eggshells and increase the weight of eggs.
Functions for pigs: Due to the continuous improvement of pig breeds and productivity, the nutritional needs of magnesium should be improved accordingly. Feeding MgO-added diets to fattening pigs can improve growth rates and pork quality, including pork pH, color, and reduce PSE pork.
Functions for freshwater fish:Freshwater fish need to be supplemented with magnesium in their feeds because of the insufficient amount of dissolved magnesium in the water.
