Protein/Mag Tubs VS Loose Minerals

[TexasBred]

Well I guess to each their own. Anyway you slice it its working for us. I dont think one bull for ten head is all that low of a rate per bull.

Yes sir to each his own but I figure it cost you the value of a couple of those calves every year just to cover the cost of maintaining that surplus of bulls.

 

[machslammer]

One bull for year round calving. . The only thing that really bothers me is... I expect a calf a year. And when they are going fifteen sixteen months, i am only getting two calves every three years. That's a yr of feed without anything..other than that i don't mind what part of yr they have them in. Btw, my dad runs 48 cows with one Sim bull. He stays active, but he also is yr round calving

Is it always the same cows that you have to take the calves off before they will breed back? Yeah, one calf every sixteen months is not good at all.[/quote]

To be honest.. I just started this herd 2 years ago.. SO this is the second round for all the cows to calve.. 4/8 orginials calved with seconds(4 not had seconds yet 13-16 months right now).. 4 more not due till fall, and 3 just had first calves with me(bought them bred). Guess I'll just wait and see when these others have their seconds and see which ones I'm gonna cull and buy new one to replace with...

 

[John SD]

IMO, bulls are a necessary evil, but no way to get around them unless you're into AI. And that's a different can of worms!

Too many bulls only compounds the problem. Bulls will likely fight each other instead of breeding the cow. Result is more open or late cows.

I always tried to maintain one bull for 25 - 30 cows. Have run one bull for 40 -50 cows with good results.

If the extra bulls are there because a bull might be questionable, it would be better to do a BSE on all bulls each year. If a bull flunks, send him down the road.

 

[Kingfisher]

Mach the loose mineral you show above is really not that highly fortified except that it meets the mag. level to be called "Hi Mag". It should be much cheaper than other mineral. They tub is pretty typical as well. The price tells me it is not a cooked tub so consumption will be much higher than the cooked tubs which cost much more but usually are much higher quality and last longer. Neither is going to help a cow much that is being pulled down while nursing a calf.

How do you know if a tub us " cooked?". Thanks in advance.

 

[TexasBred]

Mach the loose mineral you show above is really not that highly fortified except that it meets the mag. level to be called "Hi Mag". It should be much cheaper than other mineral. They tub is pretty typical as well. The price tells me it is not a cooked tub so consumption will be much higher than the cooked tubs which cost much more but usually are much higher quality and last longer. Neither is going to help a cow much that is being pulled down while nursing a calf.

How do you know if a tub us " cooked?". Thanks in advance.

Ask the dealer...secondly it will cost about double what the poured tubs cost..Around here they are in the $90 range for a 200 pounder. consumption is also about half. Due to lower consumption vitamin and mineral levels should be much higher in the cooked tubs.