T & B farms
Well-known member
My cows are eating me out of the house on mineral. I've been feeding vitaferm heat. About 2 months ago I noticed an increase in concumption, so like always I threw out a salt block. That didn't seem to slow them down much. So I bought loose salt and started mixing it directly with the mineral. About 1/4 bag of salt per bag of mineral (estimate). Still way over eating it. I upped the salt more, same results.
Today is what got me to wondering. Weaned a small pasture of calves 26hd. Most being 600-700 lbs. they are in a dry lot with good fescue hay, and I'm feeding a little whole corn. I gave them 1/2 bag of heat, they ate it clean in a hour. So I have them the rest of the bag and mixed in 1/2 bag salt. Same thing, gone in a hour. Then I dumped out the rest of the bag out. Plain salt, come home this evening it was licked clean.
Do I have a problem? Keep feeding them salt till they get what they need? I've never noticed this kind of concumption before.
On the other hand, my fall cows won't touch any mineral. This is the only pasture like this. They have had the same bag of mineral for 2 months. 18 head at this pasture.
Anyone else had this problem? Normally I never let any any pasture run out of mineral, but when they eat it like they have been makes it very hard. And expensive
Today is what got me to wondering. Weaned a small pasture of calves 26hd. Most being 600-700 lbs. they are in a dry lot with good fescue hay, and I'm feeding a little whole corn. I gave them 1/2 bag of heat, they ate it clean in a hour. So I have them the rest of the bag and mixed in 1/2 bag salt. Same thing, gone in a hour. Then I dumped out the rest of the bag out. Plain salt, come home this evening it was licked clean.
Do I have a problem? Keep feeding them salt till they get what they need? I've never noticed this kind of concumption before.
On the other hand, my fall cows won't touch any mineral. This is the only pasture like this. They have had the same bag of mineral for 2 months. 18 head at this pasture.
Anyone else had this problem? Normally I never let any any pasture run out of mineral, but when they eat it like they have been makes it very hard. And expensive