Mineral Costs

[Lon]

I was wondering what everyone here spends typically per head in mineral per year. What brought this question about was that my cows and the guys cows we run ate a significantly different amount of mineral so far this year. I know that every pasture is different in what a cow will need but our cows have been on the same feed threw last spring and then just a fence line apart from each other now. I dont mix my salt and mineral i out them out seperate and i also put out sulpher and cobalt blocks. I noticed my cows ate alot less mineral but sure did lick the heck out of the cobalt blocks since mid aug. So that made me wonder what everyone else spends on mineral per head every year if you folks dont mind me asking. Also what brand of mineral do you guys feed.

 

[Limomike]

Dont know exactly what my cost per head per year would be with the minerals, but I figure close to around $8-12. I keep it out year round, and change over in early spring with the fly control in it. I use a brand that a local feed mill makes here, cost about $28-32 per bag, and has the methporene, chrlortetracycline, the usual calcium, salt, magnesium, zinc, etc in it.
But I also know several that use the Sweetlix brand. dont know the cost of it.

 

[Lon]

Dont know exactly what my cost per head per year would be with the minerals, but I figure close to around $8-12. I keep it out year round, and change over in early spring with the fly control in it. I use a brand that a local feed mill makes here, cost about $28-32 per bag, and has the methporene, chrlortetracycline, the usual calcium, salt, magnesium, zinc, etc in it.
But I also know several that use the Sweetlix brand. dont know the cost of it.

I keep it out year round as well, but i have figured closer to $40 per head is what they are going to eat this year. Any ideas why the difference. I feed a triangle 12 mineral. Do i need to look at a different kind.

 

[J&D Cattle]

About $18/head. This is loose mineral that is kept out year round. Purina All Season 7.5 Complete. Our costs went down when we switched to this from MFA's Goldstar Super 10. Still not certain it is the best available but our market area is a little limited. The cattle look good and they don't over consume it as they appeared to the Super 10.

 

[ChrisB]

I don't know offhand exactly but I would bet I'm at $30 or more. Purina Wind and Rain All Season and switch to the same with fly control thru late spring into early fall.

 

[J&D Cattle]

I don't know offhand exactly but I would bet I'm at $30 or more. Purina Wind and Rain All Season and switch to the same with fly control thru late spring into early fall.

I was thinking of trying their fly control mineral next year in their 7.5 Complete I use. Did you see enough results to justify the extra costs over the normal mineral? If yes, did you use any other methods of fly control?

 

[ChrisB]

I originally started using the fly control mineral because it also contained aureomycin in it because I was hoping it would help control an outbreak of footrot that I was going through, and that was the only choice at my local coop. Now I use it more as a preventative for footrot and pinkeye - not sure if it works but I haven't had a case of either since I started using it. But I have always vaccinated for pinkeye anyway and never had too much problem with it. I also mix in organic Iodine in the summer for the same reasons.

Anyway, I also use back rubs with face flyps tied to them for flies. I sure have a lot of flies around all summer so I don't really know if the fly control mineral works or not. It could be because the neighbors don't use it and I get their flies, or the flies could be laying eggs in manure from winter that never got cleaned up.

 

[Limomike]

I originally started using the fly control mineral because it also contained aureomycin in it because I was hoping it would help control an outbreak of footrot that I was going through, and that was the only choice at my local coop. Now I use it more as a preventative for footrot and pinkeye - not sure if it works but I haven't had a case of either since I started using it. But I have always vaccinated for pinkeye anyway and never had too much problem with it. I also mix in organic Iodine in the summer for the same reasons.

Anyway, I also use back rubs with face flyps tied to them for flies. I sure have a lot of flies around all summer so I don't really know if the fly control mineral works or not. It could be because the neighbors don't use it and I get their flies, or the flies could be laying eggs in manure from winter that never got cleaned up.

Exactly.. if your neighbors arent using it, its pretty much a waste of $$$$. I only started using the minerals with fly control once I spoke with my neighbor and we both decided to do it.

 

[greybeard]

A little off topic, but if the cows won't touch loose mineral but do lick min and salt blocks, and will eat the loose min if I mix a little of it with pellet feed, does it mean they just don't need anything more than the lick blocks---or should I pull the blocks and just leave out the loose mineral?
(I'm talking bred heifers and bred cows--not weaned calves)

 

[Floyd]

What kind of shape are your pastures in? A soil test will tell you if you are lacking in something.

Might be cheaper to correct the deficiency there.

 

[TexasBred]

A little off topic, but if the cows won't touch loose mineral but do lick min and salt blocks, and will eat the loose min if I mix a little of it with pellet feed, does it mean they just don't need anything more than the lick blocks---or should I pull the blocks and just leave out the loose mineral?
(I'm talking bred heifers and bred cows--not weaned calves)

Usually means your mineral is not palatable enough to encourage consumption and probably doesn't contain any salt....mix a little cottonseed meal into the mineral to encourage consumption or change brands. In my mind blocks are sort of like an "All day sucker. Unless you can break off a bite it takes too long to get what you really want and need.

 

[greybeard]

A little off topic, but if the cows won't touch loose mineral but do lick min and salt blocks, and will eat the loose min if I mix a little of it with pellet feed, does it mean they just don't need anything more than the lick blocks---or should I pull the blocks and just leave out the loose mineral?
(I'm talking bred heifers and bred cows--not weaned calves)

Usually means your mineral is not palatable enough to encourage consumption and probably doesn't contain any salt....mix a little cottonseed meal into the mineral to encourage consumption or change brands. In my mind blocks are sort of like an "All day sucker. Unless you can break off a bite it takes too long to get what you really want and need.

It's LS 12-6
According to the label, it's 10% salt.
http://www.lonestarfeed.com/pdffiles/1072.pdf

I'll try the csm mix with it.

 

[JSCATTLE]

My cows do the same thing grey . Sometimes I check the mineral feeders and the cows haven't touched it in a month . Sometimes they eat it as fast as I put it out . Seems to be seasonal for me at least . I really like the Igr fly control .

 

[TexasBred]

They should be eating it pretty good.....might add the cottonseed meal in it and see what happens...6-8 lb. or so to a bag.

 

[greybeard]

It may BE seasonal here to JSC.
I just figured "Good green forage during most of the summer, maybe they don't need anything else and aren't looking for anything else" but now that fall is here and the pastures have already seen 1 frost, I probably need to make sure they have something to go along with the hay I'm gonna have to start feeding soon--maybe this week. I'll try adding csm for sure later this week and watch their condition as it gets colder and wetter.
(I didn't have the hay analyzed, so I have no idea how good it is, but it comes from a local hay producer that fertilizes and irrigates)