[Copper, manganese, and zinc contents in the whole body and in individual parts of veal calves at different weights (author's transl)].

In a comparative slaughter experiment the copper, manganese and zinc contents in different organ and tissue samples of veal calves at different weights were determined by whole body analyses. For all three trace elements, a decrease of their concentration with increasing age could be observed in the individual parts (blood, adipose tissue, innards, meat, bones) and in the whole body. During the fattening period of 12 weeks the concentrations in the dry matter of the whole body decreased from 12 ppm to 5 ppm copper (P less than 0.001), from 3.5 ppm to 1.6 ppm manganese (P less than 0.05) and from 127 ppm to 69 ppm zinc (P less than 0.05). In the present experiment the animals retained an average of 20 to 22% of the copper intake and about 20% of the manganese intake over the entire feeding period. Zinc was utilized at the extent of 40 to 43%. For the edible parts of the whole body the following coefficients of utilization were obtained: Cu = 10%, Mn = 7%, Zn = 30%.