Mineral Block Vs. Loose
- Thread starter davisba67
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TexasBred
Well-known member
davisba67":10kgb9kw said:
Is this a "complete" mineral block with high levels of all necessary minerals and vitamins or just a salt block with trace minerals ??
dun":2cvvwby5 said:
My cows are so bored I think they appreciate something to do with their time.
I use tubs to prevent tipovers and better rain protection. Use to use loose too - no problem with either. I wonder if they overconsume loose . . . also wonder if they underconsume tubs for the reasons dun mentions.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Angus the only "complete" mineral blocks I've seen were pressed blocks made by Stockade I believe. They would be soft and the cow could actually eat as much as she needed. The harder trace mineral blocks that most retail stores sell are very low consumption blocks and contain very little mineral. I too feed my mineral in a tub simply because if it gets rained on, once dry I can stir it up and it's all still there.
TexasBred
Well-known member
dun":1yv8zuzw said:
That's the way it is more often than not. Just too soft and no way to restrict consumption.
novatech
Well-known member
I just read the article posted on the Cattle Today home page; http://cattletoday.com/archive/2010/Sep ... CT2321.php
They recomend a target weight of 4 oz. per day. I don't see how they could do it with a block.
There is some other good info in the article.
Here is another;
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/beef/as1287w.htm
They recomend a target weight of 4 oz. per day. I don't see how they could do it with a block.
There is some other good info in the article.
Here is another;
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/beef/as1287w.htm
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
yep a basic mineral block, might not have enough of one mineral your area is defecient of.. plus have too stand there and lick it all,,, that work and still not enough........ ive heard it will wear their tongue smooth and make them unable to grazeTexasBred":25inld2v said:
A
Anonymous
My cows don't or won't eat any loose mineral. Tried a few different brands. They rarely touch the mineral block I have out also. Could be the range cubes have all they need. A few of the cubes in the bag are the same color as the loose and block. Go figure
TexasBred
Well-known member
If you're feeding cubes most are fortified with vitamins and minerals and sometimes cattle simple do not need any additional mineral. Most will eat it IF they need it. A few seem to literally get addicted to it and eat much more than they need as well. If you want to encourage them to eat the mineral you can add some dried molasses, cottonseed meal, distillers grain etc to the mineral but it doesn't take a lot.hooknline":3u0offdg said:
A
Anonymous
I figured that was the case. I always have both a block and. Loose out for them anyway, in case they need something. Thx
snickers
Well-known member
we've tried several loose minerals also and with no luck. we bought it at a feed store and the lady said this is what we sell the most of so we bought it and apparently our cow's don't need it or want the loose stuff because they would not touch it. Now if we put out a tub they will eat that pretty quick so I wonder do they need it or just like it?
TexasBred":18t8edaf said:
Sorry, I meant "tubs" not blocks. Here's what I use - varying which one exactly based on the season (mag, protein, fly control, calving, etc). http://crystalyx.com/ The cattle are presently on IGR MAX which has ADE and a full slate of minerals plus IGR for fly control. They'll be moving to NP 20 or Mineralyx this winter depending on the hay they're getting and then SuperMag in the spring.
I used to have all these in bags (loose) but just switched to the tubs for ease and weather issues.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Didn't check out any guarantees on the tubs but do know that Crystalix makes quality products. Sometimes a little pricey but you can compare the recommended consumption rate to that of dry mineral and compare nutrient densities and cost per head per day. Good thing about the tubs is the molasses which is a good attractant and hopefully are formulated in the proper way to limit the consumption which I'm sure Crystalix has done. If the didn't they wouldn't still be around. A would like to see more people use organic minerals instead of the old oxides and sulfates.
novaman
Well-known member
I second that. These minerals are much more bioavailable so even though they are more expensive they do pay for themselves.TexasBred":9gemvevf said:
pdfangus
Well-known member
I always use loose minerals for the reasons stated so eloquently above.
However everything in a bag is not equal. A lot of the bagged minerals pedaled around here are just a step above sand in that they totally lack balance.
One of my hot buttons is High Mag minerals that do not have enough of the other minerals to enable the Magnesium to be used.
back in the day the rule of thumb was 2 parts calcium 1 part phosphorous and 1 part magnesium. I used to mix my own to get there. cows will stay healthy in that balance. so what good is a 15% magnesium with a 3% phosphorous?
today I use a mineral from an outfit that used to be known as Youngs but they have been absorbed by Cargill now so I don't know what changes will come.
learn what the mineral needs are in your area.
learn the correct mineral interactions and base ratios.
shop for a mineral that meets those needs.
However everything in a bag is not equal. A lot of the bagged minerals pedaled around here are just a step above sand in that they totally lack balance.
One of my hot buttons is High Mag minerals that do not have enough of the other minerals to enable the Magnesium to be used.
back in the day the rule of thumb was 2 parts calcium 1 part phosphorous and 1 part magnesium. I used to mix my own to get there. cows will stay healthy in that balance. so what good is a 15% magnesium with a 3% phosphorous?
today I use a mineral from an outfit that used to be known as Youngs but they have been absorbed by Cargill now so I don't know what changes will come.
learn what the mineral needs are in your area.
learn the correct mineral interactions and base ratios.
shop for a mineral that meets those needs.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Very well state PDF
We use loose mineral with chealated & organic - ours is custom mixed for our herd. Not everyone has that ability, but hubbies place of employment custom blends minerals.
We use loose mineral with chealated & organic - ours is custom mixed for our herd. Not everyone has that ability, but hubbies place of employment custom blends minerals.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Thank you.
Mineral is one of those funny things. Really, really difficult to "PROVE" it works. It has very "suttle" affects. But, in the long run, research for many, many years has proven a balanced mineral program pays for itself.
And, yes, I totally agree that a cow could stand 24/7 licking a trace mineral block and NEVER get a fraction of what she needs. There isn't enough in a whole block if she ate the whole thing. Blocks are one of those things that makes the producer feel better.
Mineral is one of those funny things. Really, really difficult to "PROVE" it works. It has very "suttle" affects. But, in the long run, research for many, many years has proven a balanced mineral program pays for itself.
And, yes, I totally agree that a cow could stand 24/7 licking a trace mineral block and NEVER get a fraction of what she needs. There isn't enough in a whole block if she ate the whole thing. Blocks are one of those things that makes the producer feel better.
