Best salt blocks for steers??

[IluvABbeef]

Sorry I didn't get to this earlier, but I just want to thank yall for your advice. We'll definately go ahead with the new mineral program here pretty quick, can't wait to see how much improvement to the herd it'll be, so thanks again to all of you, it's much appretiated.

Happy new year!

 

[dun]

can't wait to see how much improvement to the herd it'll be

Unless your existing mineral program totally sucks you won;t see any dramatic changes. A little more weaning weight maybe, a little shorter calving interval, maybe a little more vigorous calves, fewer copens, etc.
All little things that by themselves are hard to detect, but taken in total they can be significant

 

[IluvABbeef]

can't wait to see how much improvement to the herd it'll be

Unless your existing mineral program totally sucks you won;t see any dramatic changes. A little more weaning weight maybe, a little shorter calving interval, maybe a little more vigorous calves, fewer copens, etc.
All little things that by themselves are hard to detect, but taken in total they can be significant

Yeah, like better immuninty, a bit more muscle tone, things like that that'll improve a good herd of steers.

Thanks again dun...and the rest too.

 

[bggoff]

I tried loose minerals and the cattle wouldn't acknowledge it. Is there a secret to getting them to partake.

 

[Crowderfarms]

I tried loose minerals and the cattle wouldn't acknowledge it. Is there a secret to getting them to partake.

Their are quite often Palatibility issues. You might want to try mixing in a little dried Molasses.

 

[glover36]

or mix with salt

 

[kyblockhead]

A complete mineral mix shouldn't be cut/mixed with salt because it already has it included at the level to control intake.

Animal Science 101:
Trace Minerals (Micro minerals) = minerals needed in small quantities. The micro minerals that are usually supplement in cattle includes copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, selenium, cobalt and sometimes iron.
Macro Minerals = minerals needed in larger quantities and include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, salt (sodium and chlorine) and potassium.

Note that both are required but just in different levels. Trace mineral salt (in loose or block form) contain some of the trace minerals and salt but do not contain the rest of the macro minerals. The problem with trace mineral salt is that is not complete.

There are several block manufacturers so I'm not speaking for all of them, however, several blocks are medicated and must complete feeding trials to prove they deliver a regular dose of medication before they can be approved. I hear many people say cattle don't eat enough of a block or it takes them too long but the research indicates they do deliver just as well as a well formulated loose mineral.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Trace mineral salt (in loose or block form) contain some of the trace minerals and salt but do not contain the rest of the macro minerals. The problem with trace mineral salt is that is not complete.

I kinda disagree with this. First of all, from what I know, the trace mineral salt has all the microminerals that are necessary (vital) to the animal, not some: it has Fe, Cu, Zn, I, Co, and Mn, (and Se, depending on the location and herd) and the rest of the macrominerals (Ca, P, S, K, and Mg) the cattle, depending on whether you have a cow-calf herd or not, can get from their feed, whether it's silage, forage hay, grain, etc. (and yes, Fe IS needed in the diet not sometimes :roll: Cu's the one that's needed sometimes; not Fe.) But of course, the producer has to supplement macrominerals to the cows that need those macros to do their job.

But as for me, it don't matter whether the trace mineral salt is complete or not, because I don't have a cow-calf herd (as you already should know by now) and the trace mineral is just that: microminerals, and the salt is the added macrominerals. And then of course the rest comes from the feed. Supposedly.

Okay, now you have a bit of useless info, so I'll shut up now.

 

[novaman]

If you're counting on gettin minerals into your critters by salt block you're sadly mistaken. Trace mineral blocks aren't anywhere close to providing enough trace minerals. If I remember right the block is 99.5% salt. The extra cost of these blocks should be enough to deter a person from using them. Salt blocks supply salt and thats about it. If you want to start a good mineral program buy a good loose mineral that matches your area.

 

[IluvABbeef]

If you're counting on gettin minerals into your critters by salt block you're sadly mistaken. Trace mineral blocks aren't anywhere close to providing enough trace minerals. If I remember right the block is 99.5% salt. The extra cost of these blocks should be enough to deter a person from using them. Salt blocks supply salt and thats about it. If you want to start a good mineral program buy a good loose mineral that matches your area.

99.5%???!! No, no, no...the blocks that Peavey Mart sells contain a minimum of 96.5% salt, and the rest of the 4.5% is trace mineral. And the same's for the loose mineral bag.

Okay, now I'm confused. If an average growing steer only needs about
0.08% Sodium (% of feed (100 g <?>))
(no min requirement of chlorine for cattle),
0.10 mg/kg Copper,
0.5 mg/kg Iodine,
50 mg/kg Iron,
20 mg/kg Managese,
0.1 mg/kg Selenium,
30 mg/kg Zinc, and
?? mg/kg Cobalt;

and the 20 kg block/trace mineral mix has:
Salt (NaCl) - 96.5% (minimum),
Zinc (Zn) - 4000 mg/kg (actual),
Iron (Fe) - 1600 mg/kg (actual),
Manganese (Mn) - 1200 mg/kg (actual),
Copper (Cu) - 330 mg/kg (actual),
Iodine (I) - 70 mg/kg (actual), and
Cobalt (Co) - 40 mg/kg (actual),

You folks are saying that this ain't enough to meet the animals' needs?? Maybe it's me or else my math is a little rusty, but that just doesn't sound right. :?: :help: :?:

 

[novaman]

Alright Beef I'm not saying that I'm right but I have had talked to experts on this stuff and I'm just telling you what I have been told. You are probably right about the 96.5, like I said I wasn't sure. But if you think about it you have a 20kg block of stuff. Now take 4.5% of that and what do you have left? About 900g. Now figure out how long it takes for your cattle to consume a block and divide those 900g up and you don't have much mineral being distributed. Furthermore, the balance of the mineral amounts from the block to what they need are way off. Compare the Zn to Cu ratios and you'll see my point.

 

[MoGal]

That's what I was trying to convey on page 1 but didn't express myself very well.

We're trying to tell you, "trace mineral" doesn't cut it for any type of cattle.

Its like giving a kid a sucker and then after they take one lick you take it away and then ask them how they liked their candy.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Okay, I'm startin' to get it now. ;-)

Thanks.