mineral question

[dun]

Barrel mineral feeder

viewtopic.php?t=21388&highlight=duns+mineral

[newrancher]

Don't mean to hijack, but what are the benefits of DE? How do you feed it? And thanks for the link dun. I cant get my cattle to eat any kind of loose mineral, have tried several type and quit buying it, they will lick the blocks though. Has anyone else ran into this? I'm thinking its the litter that I've put on that has had this effect, alot more in it than just P&K.

[CKC1586]

ILH try diatomaceous earth for your calves it is cheap and they love it. They will go for it before they will dirt. I have been using it for a few years now and what a huge difference..

They are eating the minerals because they taste good not because they need them and I cannot justify 80 dollars a week for 25 calves...I need to move the mineral feeder or build a new one asap and until then they can do with just their HI-boot blocks..For once I am putting my foot down...

Where do you purchase this???

[Aaron]

Don't mean to hijack, but what are the benefits of DE? How do you feed it? And thanks for the link dun. I cant get my cattle to eat any kind of loose mineral, have tried several type and quit buying it, they will lick the blocks though. Has anyone else ran into this? I'm thinking its the litter that I've put on that has had this effect, alot more in it than just P&K.

Someone else like Randi or RR can probably comment more on this. The main idea behind selling DE was to feed it to calves to get them from eating dirt as young calves. It doesn't seem to completely eliminate the problem, but it does reduce it a fair bit. You feed it straight. It's a very smooth white powder, with a clay-like feel. If I see a calf eating dirt, I go grab a handful (which is a lot considering my hands), grab the bugger by the scruff of the neck and shovel the handful of DE into its mouth. It coughs and chews and looks bewildered for a while....but it seems to solve the problem. If not, more handfuls.

ILH try diatomaceous earth for your calves it is cheap and they love it. They will go for it before they will dirt. I have been using it for a few years now and what a huge difference..

They are eating the minerals because they taste good not because they need them and I cannot justify 80 dollars a week for 25 calves...I need to move the mineral feeder or build a new one asap and until then they can do with just their HI-boot blocks..For once I am putting my foot down...

Where do you purchase this???

We get it at our local feed dealer. A 50 lb. bag lasts a number of years. It's called Star Lake Beef Diatomaceous Earth

Here is a list of dealers

http://www.storefood.com/Grain/faqs/vig2d.html

[CKC1586]

Thanks!!!

[dun]

Someone else like Randi or RR can probably comment more on this. The main idea behind selling DE was to feed it to calves to get them from eating dirt as young calves.

What is the point of having them not eating dirt?

[hillsdown]

I am using Cargill Right Now bronze free range beef mineral it has 11.5% calcium and 10.0% phosphorous. I was using the onyx but that is just too expensive now.

The diatomaceous earth is to be given free choice to your calves and they will always find it. They say the cows do not like it but that is not true so you should put it in a feeder where only the calves have access to it. My bag says product of USA so I am sure you can get it anywhere in the states. I go through at least 1 50lb bag a year and the bag costs around 20 dollars.

Dun it is not the dirt so much as the manure in or around the dirt that you do not want the calves licking..You know how new babies are always licking anything and everything. So the earth just makes them go to it instead of dirt with cow sh#t and it fills whatever need they have for licking the ground all the time. I have not had a single case of coccidiosis since I have been using it.

Thanks for the pic, now where does one get those plastic barrels ?

I will also add that when they go out to pasture they do not get DE anymore it is just used when I am feeding hay in feeders..

[rockridgecattle]

DE has been on our list of calving supplies for several years now

DE is also a reducer of scours. DE is crushed, ground fossil, from what i have read. Some how it is able to tear at the bugs and viruses that are in the intestines reducing the scour bug load.
Stopping them or reducing the amount of dirt they eat will also reduce the amount of scour bugs or codcisiousis (sp bad I know) they injest. Again reducing the amount of bugs in the system.
We had good results from it. When you buy it you want white or off white powder, not red. You also want to put it in the calf shelters if you have them. You know they are going after the powder when you see nose prints everywhere.
Being that it is fossil ground up, I wonder if it does not increase the calcium in the system of the calf. In the early stages of life, they seem to go nuts for it. But once the grass starts to come, they forget about it.

On a side note, chickens also like to "bathe" in the earth. Helps with lice.

[dirtdoctor]

Thanks for the pic, now where does one get those plastic barrels ?

I got mine from the highway dept. they get them with soap in them.Just have to use ALOT of water to clean out all of the bubbles, must be pretty potent soap.

I built mine like Duns now I'd like to attach a rub to treat for face flies. My buddy cut whats looks like an I in his then took a propane torch anh bent out the pieces, makes it have wings that the wind catchs to turn the hole away from the rain. Not a good discription but I hope can get the idea

[hillsdown]

Thanks dirtdoctor, I think I might be able to get a couple of barrels from the neighbors dairy. They would have remnants of soap or milk line acid but nothing that a good scrubbing won't get out.

It is either the barrels or build one of those fancy wooden feeder contraptions with a roof and all that has been posted a couple of times..

Thanks again.

[I luv herfrds]

dun we have lost calves in the past due to eating dirt, their bellies were full of mud. Couldn't pass anything.

Sorry HD didn't mean to get it going on dirt eating. Hubby was wondering what you were feeding the cows.

[Aaron]

I am using Cargill Right Now bronze free range beef mineral it has 11.5% calcium and 10.0% phosphorous. I was using the onyx but that is just too expensive now.

The diatomaceous earth is to be given free choice to your calves and they will always find it. They say the cows do not like it but that is not true so you should put it in a feeder where only the calves have access to it. My bag says product of USA so I am sure you can get it anywhere in the states. I go through at least 1 50lb bag a year and the bag costs around 20 dollars.

Dun it is not the dirt so much as the manure in or around the dirt that you do not want the calves licking..You know how new babies are always licking anything and everything. So the earth just makes them go to it instead of dirt with cow sh#t and it fills whatever need they have for licking the ground all the time. I have not had a single case of coccidiosis since I have been using it.

Thanks for the pic, now where does one get those plastic barrels ?

I will also add that when they go out to pasture they do not get DE anymore it is just used when I am feeding hay in feeders..

I'd switch minerals HD. Find something with a real 2:1 ratio for calcium to phosphorus (ie. 16% : 8%). You should notice a dramatic decrease in intake by the cows. It is the calcium they are craving...and they have to consume a lot of 1:1 mineral to get it.

[regolith]

I think I might be able to get a couple of barrels from the neighbors dairy. They would have remnants of soap or milk line acid but nothing that a good scrubbing won't get out.

Pretty much everything comes out if the dairy sticks the milk-line in the barrel during the hot wash. Saves a lot of scrubbing if you can let 60 C + water do it for you.
I do mine as a matter of course before stacking them.

DE is used for scours out here - never used it myself, as my calves don't do much earth-browsing, and the one time a farmer was telling me I should get them on this stuff I went to the vet and he said no, get the dung samples tested, no point in trying to patch up rotavirus with clay...
We don't use free minerals for cattle. I'm very intrigued by your system - I hate dumping stuff in their water so stick with the now-thoroughly-unfashionable daily drenching.

[hillsdown]

I'd switch minerals HD. Find something with a real 2:1 ratio for calcium to phosphorus (ie. 16% : 8%). You should notice a dramatic decrease in intake by the cows. It is the calcium they are craving...and they have to consume a lot of 1:1 mineral to get it.

Thanks Aaron but the cows aren't the problem it is the calves the cows may go to the minerals once or twice a week . They hardly touch them at all . The mineral I use is specifically designed for my area, but I will ask my nutritionist about it tomorrow.

[Double R Ranch]

We also feed the cargil right now minerals. We are currently feeding the emerald. We have had great success with this program. The cattle ate it down the first month or so to get the needed levels of the different minerals they were lacking. Now we hardly go threw any. We don't feed the molassis barrels. Found that the cattle were just eating it to eat it. Never noticed any differences with or without them. The calves eat the right now minerals as the adults do. Very little.
We recomend it to all our clients. Have had several clients thats cows were on the barrels and were a bit under weight. Changed over to the right now minerals and they gained weight, the red tint on there back went away and there conception rate went up greatly.
Just my opinion. Hope this helps.
Double R