Looking for cattle candy

[rynophiliac]

Have any of you had experience with any type of product that cows just love to eat/lick? I'm looking for something that the cows just can't resist and will be willing to walk a long distance to get the treat. Basically, I'm trying to entice my cows to come into the corrals more often. I've tried seeding the corrals with alfalafa and that works well but is extremely expensive because the first 3-4 cows will eat up everything that is there and itll be gone in just a few hours and none of the other cows that come in will ever get a taste. I've just tried some cattle cubes from purina and they are pretty good but with over 100 cows they get pretty pricey also. I looked into these molasses lickers and they look pretty good but I have no experience with them as of yet. Anyone have any experience with them? or any other products their cows just love that can be used inexpensively for a large herd to keep them coming in? I've got a large desert pasture and the cows travel several miles away from the corrals. Looking for a low cost product that the cows just cant resist and wanna come back! thanks in advance.

 

[dun]

Depending on the availability of free water on the range, a water tank will bring them in daily.

 

[Bigfoot]

Catching pen is the only place I put mineral.

 

[Nesikep]

I think Molasses tubs would be the most affordable way to do it for any number of cattle... and they get minerals out of them too, and it still takes a bunch of licking to finish one off. I think once you get a couple of them 'hooked', the rest might follow more easily

 

[rynophiliac]

Depending on the availability of free water on the range, a water tank will bring them in daily.

Yea there is water all over the range. Springs, creeks, etc everywhere. It is a blessing and a curse.

 

[Jessica06]

I think Molasses tubs would be the most affordable way to do it for any number of cattle... and they get minerals out of them too, and it still takes a bunch of licking to finish one off. I think once you get a couple of them 'hooked', the rest might follow more easily

That's what I would think, too.

 

[fenceman]

Range cubes seem to be addictive to cattle. Mine will come running off the best grass in the world for a few cubes. But if your just trying to get them to visit a certain area every few days. I would say the molasses tubs. I use them on a fairly large and very rugged lease pasture to keep the cows coming by. I have a trail camera set up over it. Pretty handy for checking on them

 

[ga.prime]

In my experience, cows use lick tanks very little when there's green grass available. Tubs are a bad investment. Cubes is the answer.

 

[jedstivers]

Cubes/Cake are just like crack to them. Get them hooked and you have them where you want them.
Rice Bran and Wheat Mids are good too.

 

[Rafter S]

I agree with using cubes, although there are other types of feed they like just as well and are cheaper, but you would need troughs. And if you haven't already, but some loose salt in your pens.

 

[fenceman]

In my experience, cows use lick tanks very little when there's green grass available. Tubs are a bad investment. Cubes is the answer.

I agree with the bad investment part. I may have been off a little with that first post. Nothing. Beats cubes for calling cows. I just meant on a large pasture were your maybe just trying to get them to visit a certain area occasionally the tubs work well for me. If your there and they are close enough to call, nothing beats cubes, and it doesn't take much. Ill also say that in hot weather when the tubs get soft they can burn through them pretty quick

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Cubes/cake.

 

[Deepsouth]

I thought we already had this discussion once Ryno.

Cubes

 

[cow pollinater]

We don't have cubes here. I use alfalfa hay to bait but I don't bait my corrals or just a few of the gentle ones get it all as you already figured out. Instead I put out just a tad for the gentle ones to keep them quiet and then I drive as close as I can to where the rank ones live and yell to them and make a big show of putting out hay and I put out enough to make it worth their while. The first few times I won't even see them but once they make the connection I can call them from quite a ways away. Most of those will get hay broke enough that I can lead them around some.
If they're really badass I might not ever get them hay broke enough to come while I'm there but I can feed and call in an area where the odds are in my favor and come back in an hour horseback with dogs and grab them.
Baiting is a great tool but do not try to use it to pen cows every time. You'll wind up with cows that you can't gather if they decide the risk is higher than the reward and you need them to respect a horse enough that you can get them gathered without bait.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I thought we already had this discussion once Ryno.

Cubes

Sorry to get off topic. But I have to stop and say, very nice cattle Deepsouth :clap:

 

[Kingfisher]

Denver beat me to it Deep!

 

[ga.prime]

In my experience, cows use lick tanks very little when there's green grass available. Tubs are a bad investment. Cubes is the answer.

I agree with the bad investment part. I may have been off a little with that first post. Nothing. Beats cubes for calling cows. I just meant on a large pasture were your maybe just trying to get them to visit a certain area occasionally the tubs work well for me. If your there and they are close enough to call, nothing beats cubes, and it doesn't take much. Ill also say that in hot weather when the tubs get soft they can burn through them pretty quick

Exactly right about the hot weather effect, and it doesn't have be very hot either. Like maybe 50-60 degrees. The cows don't lick the tubs at that point, they take bites out of them. The OP said he had 100 cows. You can take one bag of cubes and toll those cows for a long ways and not even use the whole bag.

 

[Bigfoot]

What kind of bizzaro universe do I live in, where I can't get cubes?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

What kind of bizzaro universe do I live in, where I can't get cubes?

You can't get cubes?

 

[Bigfoot]

What kind of bizzaro universe do I live in, where I can't get cubes?

You can't get cubes?

Not anywhere. They don't sound like a bargain, but for some reason I'd love to try some.