Expensive mineral - am i a sucker?

[fasttommy]

ca--8%
p--8%
salt min--5%
salt max--6%
mg--5%
s--2%
z--8000
cu--5000
mang--3000
iod-800
se--120
co--25
vit a--800000
vit d3--100000
vit e--1200

ingredients:
Monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, kelp meal, limestone flour, magnesium oxide, bentonite clay, sea salt, magnesium sulfate, sulfur, selenium yeast, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, chelated copper, chelated zinc, Manganese sulfate, selenium, vitamin e, vitamin a, calcium iodate, vitamin d3, cobalt sulfate

directions: 1-2 oz/head/day

Any opinions on this mineral? Way overkill for beef cows or really quality stuff? Or would i be a sucker for buying it? It's sold by a holistic/natural (or whatever you want to call it) type livestock supply company.

Its really expensive...43 bucks a bag

 

[Son of Butch]

Sounds high quality and more for dairy, needs to be managed by mixing in a tmr ration or in a grain mix.
1 oz day
What is going to limit a beef cow from over consuming this high priced mineral free choice?
I'd sure hate seeing any of it blowing away in wind or weather.

 

[ddd75]

ca low
p high

everyhting is else really high. vitamins are off the chart.

looks pretty good for sure.. but has to be rationed.

 

[fasttommy]

Its low salt compared to other loose mineral I have fed. Would that help limit intake?

 

[ddd75]

probably not because they really like to suck that kelp down.

you could put it out for a week free choice and see how much they consume.. its not going to hurt them.

 

[TexasBred]

ca low
p high

everyhting is else really high. vitamins are off the chart.

looks pretty good for sure.. but has to be rationed.

At a 1/2 oz per head per day consumption rate divide all your guarantees by 8 to come up with equivalent guarantees for a 4 oz. per head per day more typical mineral. It's really very short in all the micro and macro mineals, however, you do have chelates which is excellent. I'm wondering what they use to fill up this formula since they are not using calcium or salt (filler). Has to be something unpalatable or they would eat too much of it. That being said sometimes it's easier to get 1/2 oz of mineral in a cow everyday than 4 oz.

 

[fasttommy]

The recommended consumption rate is 1 to 2 oz/day, not 1/2, so I'll divide by 2 or 4 instead of 8. Either way though, like you said, its still pretty low when you look at it that way. I wonder if limestone flour or the clay is the filler? Maybe like ddd75 suggests, i'll buy a bag or two and see how long it lasts. I appreciate the input!

 

[TexasBred]

The recommended consumption rate is 1 to 2 oz/day, not 1/2, so I'll divide by 2 or 4 instead of 8. Either way though, like you said, its still pretty low when you look at it that way. I wonder if limestone flour or the clay is the filler? Maybe like ddd75 suggests, i'll buy a bag or two and see how long it lasts. I appreciate the input!

No limestone would kick the calcium content up very high. More likely to be something like rice hulls which have no real value or taste and are dirt cheap.