Dirt consumption and undergraduate research!

[Vhamilton]

Hello all!
I have a question for you that will help me with my undergraduate research.
On our farm, a few of our fields are dotted with deep and wide holes, cattle made and visited by all ages and sexes, where they rub their faces and lick the dirt. We have a full mineral supplement program offered free choice as well. I will be using ICPOES analysis to look at trace mineral concentration in dig sites as compared to the rest of the field, as well as comparing several other physical factors. My hope is that I will find higher concentrations of trace minerals at the dig sites, and possibly predict where other sites might occur.
I want to know if your cattle are into eating dirt. Can you tell me their age group and sex? Their feed? Your mineral supplement program? Descriptions of sites where dirt eating occurs (approx size, soil characteristics, landscape position)? Soil Type?
This would be so helpful to me!
Many thanks in advance
~Virginia
Student Beef Operation Manager, Warren Wilson College.

 

[muleskinner]

I am Just north of you in WV. Something that we have found out is that most mineral supplements do not have enough SALT in them. I did an experiment 3 years running, providing plan white salt 1 week and a good TM salt the next week and rotated them each week all summer. Calves gained more when they got plan white salt every other week than the groups that got TM salt all the time. Calves getting white salt every other week gained .2lbs per day more that the calves get tm salt all the time. We got to looking at the salt content of TM salt compared to what the experts call for and there is not enough salt in most TM mixtures so we got to putting out a white salt block with the TM mixture so that we could help maximise gains. Do not know if this will help but it could be worth looking at putting a white salt block out with the loose TM salt mixture. Do not use loose white salt. They will consume it and not the Tm mixture. Remember that companies are trying to sell a mineral pack and not salt. I know that this does not answer your questions, but this could help you out. Also remember you have to on your farm figure out what works for you.

 

[ga.prime]

My cows do not eat dirt or lick dirt. However, they do like to dig holes and kick dirt up in the air and make dust clouds. They have constant access to all purpose minerals.

 

[bigbluegrass]

My cattle have a place they like to eat dirt. I have been using a loose mineral by Southern States called beef breeder with Avail 4. I feed them as much of that as they want. Every spring when they are in the one pasture on top of the hill they will dig a small hole and eat dirt for a few days. It is only in the spring right around calving time. I rotationally graze, so they only have access to that place for a day or two before being moved on. I have often wondered what is in that dirt that they like. The mineral I use is one of the best offered by Southern States. Let us know what you find out. If you need a sample of dirt from the site, I can probably mail some to you.

 

[TexasBred]

I am Just north of you in WV. Something that we have found out is that most mineral supplements do not have enough SALT in them. I did an experiment 3 years running, providing plan white salt 1 week and a good TM salt the next week and rotated them each week all summer. Calves gained more when they got plan white salt every other week than the groups that got TM salt all the time. Calves getting white salt every other week gained .2lbs per day more that the calves get tm salt all the time. We got to looking at the salt content of TM salt compared to what the experts call for and there is not enough salt in most TM mixtures so we got to putting out a white salt block with the TM mixture so that we could help maximise gains. Do not know if this will help but it could be worth looking at putting a white salt block out with the loose TM salt mixture. Do not use loose white salt. They will consume it and not the Tm mixture. Remember that companies are trying to sell a mineral pack and not salt. I know that this does not answer your questions, but this could help you out. Also remember you have to on your farm figure out what works for you.

Wow...if those calves had took a good leak you would have lost that .2 lbs. If they had got a good drink of water before weighing you might have gained another half pound. Get rid of the blocks and give them some loose "stock salt". They'll wear out a perfectly good tongue trying to get all the salt they need from a block.

 

[muleskinner]

That was .2 lbs per day while the calf was on Mom. So if you leave your calves on Mom for 5 months that is an extra 30 pounds of gain without any extra imputs. You cant do that with a good drink on a 5 weight calf.

 

[Nite Hawk]

I have noticed that when cattle are on a high grain / fattening diet they tend to crave salt more ( salt is alkaline on the PH scale) and tend to eat alot more dirt than if they are just eating grass or hay alone. I have seen animals when they have a high grain for long period of time really "pig out" more often on dirt than normal.
I am thinking they instinctively eat dirt to try and balance their PH levels away from acidic tendencies, and I think it may tend to settle their stomachs -the way we would take antacid medicine when we have an acidic stomach. No proof, but have seen it often when the grain intake goes up,usually the dirt intake also increases.
Nite Hawk

 

[TexasBred]

That was .2 lbs per day while the calf was on Mom. So if you leave your calves on Mom for 5 months that is an extra 30 pounds of gain without any extra imputs. You cant do that with a good drink on a 5 weight calf.

Wow you're getting almost a 1:1 conversation ratio...feed (salt) to gain... Make a note....cattle do not gain weight on salt :!: :!: They may retain water but seldom will they get enough salt at one time from blocks to even cause that.

 

[greybeard]

My cows do not eat dirt or lick dirt. However, they do like to dig holes and kick dirt up in the air and make dust clouds. They have constant access to all purpose minerals.

Mine too, especially the charolais, and they have a favorite place to do it--a red clay hill. I always figured it was their way of insect control.

 

[ga.prime]

My cows do not eat dirt or lick dirt. However, they do like to dig holes and kick dirt up in the air and make dust clouds. They have constant access to all purpose minerals.

Mine too, especially the charolais, and they have a favorite place to do it--a red clay hill. I always figured it was their way of insect control.

Mine's all sandy loam so they don't have much choice there but they do prefer to dig holes in front of gates so you have to dodge the hole when you drive through the gate. I think their kicking dirt up in the air has to do with insect control too.

 

[cow pollinater]

I have a large jersey herd that licks dirt in certain spots but it's only the dry cows and heifers... The milk cows get a good nutrition program and they won't touch the dirt. The heifers on that place are learning chinese so that they'll be aclimated when they get through.

 

[Vhamilton]

Great stuff guys!
This is good to hear our cows aren't just freaks.
Keep em coming!
I will surely update you after I run my tests.

 

[Vhamilton]

Thank you all for your replies so long ago!
It's been a long road but I'm happy to offer some of my results, while understanding that they may not be the answer for all farms.
After analyzing my samples from our farm, I've found that the dig sites had significantly higher concentrations of iron than the surrounding field, sometimes twice as much. I also found a lot of research on uptake of iron. Certain oxides are more readily absorbed by mammalian bodies than others, and the ones found in leafy greens are difficult for the body to process. It's possible that the oxides in soil are in an easily digested form. Our soil is the Evard Cowee complex, a clay rich red soil.
There is also evidence that those soils have heavy clay content, which is a known stomach soother (Think Kaopectate).
If anyone is interested in viewing my presentation, let me know and I can email you a link.
Thanks!
~Virginia

 

[TexasBred]

My cows do not eat dirt or lick dirt. However, they do like to dig holes and kick dirt up in the air and make dust clouds. They have constant access to all purpose minerals.

And they're sort of like a dog trying to pee on top of another dog's pee....where one cow/bull rubs another is sure to come along and try and cover it.

 

[TexasBred]

Thank you all for your replies so long ago!
It's been a long road but I'm happy to offer some of my results, while understanding that they may not be the answer for all farms.
After analyzing my samples from our farm, I've found that the dig sites had significantly higher concentrations of iron than the surrounding field, sometimes twice as much. I also found a lot of research on uptake of iron. Certain oxides are more readily absorbed by mammalian bodies than others, and the ones found in leafy greens are difficult for the body to process. It's possible that the oxides in soil are in an easily digested form. Our soil is the Evard Cowee complex, a clay rich red soil.
There is also evidence that those soils have heavy clay content, which is a known stomach soother (Think Kaopectate).
If anyone is interested in viewing my presentation, let me know and I can email you a link.
Thanks!
~Virginia

Virginia, you'll learn that minerals in the form of oxides are seldom utilized very much at all, whether in dirt, feed or anything else. But they look good on the tag in high quantities.