millstreaminn":3524mvt1 said:
I'm pretty sure your heifer didn't die from licking salt. Probably some other cause there. It is okay to feed whole corn to cows. Cracked corn is easier to digest but whole is better than nothing.
Actually, whole corn is healthier than fine ground corn, and is just as easy to digest & utilize. You will see whole corn in the fecal matter, but all the "good" has been digested out of it. Cracked corn goes thru the system & comes out with the manure also, you just don't see it.
"They" used to say that cracked corn was 8% more efficient, so if it cost more than 8% to have it cracked, it wasn't worth it. But now, the latest "research" said that whole, cracked, flaked or rolled corn was just as efficient. Hard to believe that steamed flaked corn isn't better utilized (it looks soooo good!)
The reason you were told that salt blocks weren't good, is simply because the cattle CANNOT get enough minerals out of a trace mineral salt block. They can lick all day & not get enough, therefore you need to be feeding "loose" mineral free-choice year-round.
You need to watch your cattle & determine what a normal breathing pattern is so that when they have respiratory problems, you can tell if they are breathing different.
They are like people, they will get runny nose, run a fever (ears are usually lower if they have a fever & look "depressed")
If they are weazing, yes that's usually some kind of respiratory problem. If they are off feed, yes they are probably sick.