Salt/Minerals....Question

[Banjo]

Question for those of you in the know. I saw a bag of minerals that is supposed to be a high quality product that has salt in it and it also says to feed salt freechoice....why is that? Do cattle not get enough salt in a regular mineral mix?
Some mineral mixes say to not feed any extra salt, I'm confused!.

http://vitaferm.com/products/vitaferm-heat/

 

[dun]

Depends on the mineral. Some have a little, some have a lot. Some people feel that salt in the mineral is a waste becaue they are paying more for it than if they had to feed salt free choice.

 

[Aaron]

The highest quality minerals have no salt in them whatsoever.

 

[dun]

The highest quality minerals have no salt in them whatsoever.

Wouldn;t say that. With palatability of some minerals, salt is added to get them to eat it.

 

[Banjo]

In the above link, the salt is about 20%. In the mineral I've been feeding....its 23%, but mine says to not feed any other source of salt.
Is it a sales gimmick to sell more mineral or what? My cattle have been consuming a lot in this hot weather.....I'm thinking they are wanting the salt.
I don't know.

 

[dun]

If it's a major mineral supplier, there is a slim chance that they know what they are doing with their mixtures. I know it's hard to believe that a company that has been at it for so many years would know better than joe schitt the rag man down the road, but there is a chance they do.

 

[jcarkie]

I want the salt or mine won't eat enough, I have tried it both ways. no salt it just sits there. but I keep out salt blocks too. I will say this the right now has been the best I have used. Just my opinion ......

 

[TexasBred]

A put out separate mineral and salt regardless of what the bag says. Even one that is 25% salt only gives the cow one ounce of salt per day IF she eats 4 oz of mineral. The need more especially in the hotter months.

 

[Aaron]

The highest quality minerals have no salt in them whatsoever.

Wouldn;t say that. With palatability of some minerals, salt is added to get them to eat it.

I consider unpalatable minerals as junk. I have used a lot of mixes, but if the cows won't eat it, it's junk. Might as well throw some beach sand in their feeders. I even tried a new mineral from another company this year, just to see if it would be a good backup for my main variety. Nope. Highest quality mineral the company made, well formulated, but consumption was a tiny fraction of what it should have been. Junk.

 

[greybeard]

maybe it just had too much sulfur in it Aaron...
:lol: :hide:

 

[dun]

I consider unpalatable minerals as junk. I have used a lot of mixes, but if the cows won't eat it, it's junk. Might as well throw some beach sand in their feeders. I even tried a new mineral from another company this year, just to see if it would be a good backup for my main variety. Nope. Highest quality mineral the company made, well formulated, but consumption was a tiny fraction of what it should have been. Junk.

That's what makes a horse race, differences of opinions

 

[Banjo]

The highest quality minerals have no salt in them whatsoever.

Wouldn;t say that. With palatability of some minerals, salt is added to get them to eat it.

I consider unpalatable minerals as junk. I have used a lot of mixes, but if the cows won't eat it, it's junk. Might as well throw some beach sand in their feeders. I even tried a new mineral from another company this year, just to see if it would be a good backup for my main variety. Nope. Highest quality mineral the company made, well formulated, but consumption was a tiny fraction of what it should have been. Junk.

Do you mind sharing what brand of mineral you use that cows will eat?

 

[Aaron]

Banjo, It's a small mom and pop elevator in Greenbush, MN. Northern Feeds is the brand name they use. They would be considered a premium mineral because they focus on quality, not the end cost of the product. Zero fillers or animal byproducts in it. I tried to convince StockerSteve to try a bag, but I don't know if he ever did. Once you try it, you'll never go back to anything else. They do make mineral with salt in it, but the only reason for that was to make it cheaper for the bargain hunters and compete with big brands like Purina.

 

[Banjo]

Thanks. Used to be Moormans' Feed was about the best quality mineral you could buy around here...also the highest priced.
But since ADM bought them out a few years ago, things may have changed. My brother still feeds it on his small farm in Va.
He used to be a salesman for them many years ago.

 

[TexasBred]

The highest quality minerals have no salt in them whatsoever.

Wouldn;t say that. With palatability of some minerals, salt is added to get them to eat it.

I consider unpalatable minerals as junk. I have used a lot of mixes, but if the cows won't eat it, it's junk. Might as well throw some beach sand in their feeders. I even tried a new mineral from another company this year, just to see if it would be a good backup for my main variety. Nope. Highest quality mineral the company made, well formulated, but consumption was a tiny fraction of what it should have been. Junk.

:nod: :clap: :nod:

 

[bball]

So then, what is the best mineral palatibility wise..that will still meet nutritional needs. Feeding Kent mineral right now, and the cows go in spurts where they absolutely feast on it, then slow down for awhile. It's about 13-16% salt.

 

[LongLopeSlowHorse]

No, it ain't junk.

Cattle will eat and crave salt.

They'll eat sticks and bones if they're short.

But most minerals taste bad. And cows won't eat them.

The so called 'smorgasboard'---where you put out the ingredients and they take what they want--is a joke.

With minerals---you got to have something in it to make them eat it---like salt, grain, etc.

And you gotta have something in it so they don't eat too much--like salt, phosphorous is bitter and used to be kinda a control but got too expensive.

so--it's a balancing act. And their consumption will change with their diet---not necessarily because their needs have changed.

I mix mine with loose salt. I make sure they're filled up on salt first, if they've run out. It's not recommended, I'm probably overfeeding a tad, I can get close to the 4 oz rec'd.

Since good mineral program, I have almost -o- dystocia and hardly ever have anything weird or malformed. Our calving assistance ---where somebody has hand inside a cow---is probably less than 1 in 200.

Good mineral is cheap. But---mineral is not something you buy on price. Know what you're getting and what ingredients are sourced from---some more expensive inputs are cheaper when you consider the efficiency.

In winter on rough feed, adding bovatec will pay all mineral and salt bills.

 

[TexasBred]

So then, what is the best mineral palatibility wise..that will still meet nutritional needs. Feeding Kent mineral right now, and the cows go in spurts where they absolutely feast on it, then slow down for awhile. It's about 13-16% salt.

bb hard to say. Nothing in mineral is palatable so companies add things like DDG, cottonseed meal, or dried molasses to give it some taste. As long as the mineral is highly fortified (most use oxides and sulfates) and balanced it should be ok IF it doesn't contain too much of the "taste enhancer" to cause overconsumption. Personally I look for minerals that have zinc, manganese, copper, and cobalt in the form of amino acid complexes. Some companies make some ingredients that will be disclosed on the tag as proteinates or chelates. They're ok but not the best. Your Kent mineral is probably ok and yes consumption does seem to yoyo from time to time.

 

[JMJ Farms]

No, it ain't junk.

Cattle will eat and crave salt.

They'll eat sticks and bones if they're short.

But most minerals taste bad. And cows won't eat them.

The so called 'smorgasboard'---where you put out the ingredients and they take what they want--is a joke.

With minerals---you got to have something in it to make them eat it---like salt, grain, etc.

And you gotta have something in it so they don't eat too much--like salt, phosphorous is bitter and used to be kinda a control but got too expensive.

so--it's a balancing act. And their consumption will change with their diet---not necessarily because their needs have changed.

I mix mine with loose salt. I make sure they're filled up on salt first, if they've run out. It's not recommended, I'm probably overfeeding a tad, I can get close to the 4 oz rec'd.

Since good mineral program, I have almost -o- dystocia and hardly ever have anything weird or malformed. Our calving assistance ---where somebody has hand inside a cow---is probably less than 1 in 200.

Good mineral is cheap. But---mineral is not something you buy on price. Know what you're getting and what ingredients are sourced from---some more expensive inputs are cheaper when you consider the efficiency.

In winter on rough feed, adding bovatec will pay all mineral and salt bills.

Good post. What's your guidelines for the amount of salt to mix in with the minerals to balance intake of the minerals?

 

[arkie1]

As far as I remember my main brand doesn't have any salt in it but I don't have a bag in front of me right now. I know in my area I go through 100+ pounds of mineral to 50 pounds of salt. I just bought a set of good black cattle who have had almost zero management. The first thing I did was put a mineral feeder out with 50 pounds of mineral and 50 pounds of salt. In a week I have I'd say 40 or so pounds of salt and ZERO mineral. These cattle haven't been getting what they need. IMO it doesn't matter if it has salt in the mineral or not. If the animals need it they know and they will consume it.