Mix of minerals or single mineral choice

[HDRider]

I had no idea this would stir any controversy.

 

[TexasBred]

I had no idea this would stir any controversy.

No controversy. Just a difference in how some of us look at things. like anything else "cost" isn't everything and often not even the most important thing.

 

[goddy]

put out a "feeder" for a bunch of kids with m&m's, brocolli,carrots,celery and I'm betting the m&m's get eaten first. Does that mean they needed them more ?
I would worry about the trace minerals and also over consumption issues in a free choice individual mineral type set up.
Where individual treatment is needed for a certain element and you can give the appropriate amount direct to the animal - ie a copper bolus or an iodine injection and it's based on a blood test then that would make sense. Just my opinions.

 

[highgrit]

I'm a big believer in KISS. Around here we put out a good mineral "Cattleman's Pride" and mineral blocks in each feeder. When they get empty just put more in.

 

[TexasBred]

I'm a big believer in KISS. Around here we put out a good mineral "Cattleman's Pride" and mineral blocks in each feeder. When they get empty just put more in.

Bet it works too. ;-)

 

[Jake]

Kansas State did tests with these type of mineral feeders I believe in the late 80s or in the 90s. They are completely worthless because cows aren't going to search out the exact quantities of a mineral they need. Especially if it is sour tasting. A palatable, balanced all in one mineral is the only way to go. Now you can tailor that to your own program as much as possible by doing feed and water tests to determine what the cows are actually getting.

 

[R V]

It sounds like most of the "science" doesn't like this approach, but I have already made the investment and so far so good. I am a little jaded regarding the studies as they were probably sponsored by a company that produces a pre-mixed mineral. Much like the bad press on eggs years ago. Those studies were sponsored by a large cereal company (Kellogg I believe) and now 30+ years later these have been debunked. The same for low fat diets. They have been horrible for our country and it is hard for patients and staff to understand what is and isn't healthy. This mineral idea may not work and I am not trying to change what anyone does, but after raising cattle for 20+ years now, I have realized that I should of just listened to the old farmers that bought and paid for their farms with cattle. I thought I was smarter and read more and followed the latest science. Now I am doing more of what they recommended and continuing with what works here and with what works with my work schedule. Each of us has a different environment to work with and different time constraints. I agree 100% with the KISS principle and I am trying this due to previous failures with the pre-mixed minerals I have tried. If what you are doing works, don't change it. I won't know for a couple of years if this is any better or worse than what I have previously tried. I do know that I have worried about grass tetany at this time of the year in the past and I have only seen it once. With the group on the cafeteria style minerals, I am not worried due to their excellent consumption of magnesium over the past 3 months. I am keeping the two groups calving off of fresh pasture and just on hay for another week or so depending on grass growth. If I have problems when I put them on grass, I will post an update. I do greatly appreciate the discussion and, unfortunately, I am a little less optimistic than I was, but only time will tell if this works any better or not and what the actual costs will be.

 

[TexasBred]

More power to you and hope it works out for you long term. I do find it interesting that they would consume magnesium without something to make it taste too as mag is one of the worst tasting things you can put in a mineral and cattle will almost never consume it fed alone. Run your experiment for several generations of cattle and keep us up to date on results. ;-)