Salt

[Calhoun Farm]

The mineral I feed has 25% salt.

It's also high in cooper and zinc.

 

[plumber_greg]

My thoughts, salt is used to get the cows to eat the required minerals. The salt attracts them to the minerals. They only need a certain amount of the minerals daily. Anything else is wasted. If the cows eat too much mineral, add salt.
All nutritonusist I have talked to say cows cannot regulate what they need. They are not, or are, eating more mineral because they need it, they are eating more or less because of the salt content. It is a constant management decision to regulate the salt in the mineral feeder.
I have heard of people having 16 container mineral feeders. They think the cows will eat what they need when they need it. Everything I have been taught says this is just stupid. gs

 

[user1]

If cattle would eat what they need, then why do companies put flavoring in their mineral.

 

[HDRider]

I have to admit this subject confuses me as to the proper way to provide salt and minerals.

 

[John SD]

When I fed Vigortone mineral, I could never figure out why the mineral formulation with a higher salt content was higher priced than the lower salt content mineral, all other things basically equal.

IMO, the lower salt mineral was "more bang for the buck". Different times of the year cows craved salt more than other times of the year. This also varied due to the salt content of the water supply. For this reason, I'd say your best bet is to offer both mineral and salt seperately.

 

[TexasBred]

My thoughts, salt is used to get the cows to eat the required minerals. The salt attracts them to the minerals. They only need a certain amount of the minerals daily. Anything else is wasted. If the cows eat too much mineral, add salt.
All nutritonusist I have talked to say cows cannot regulate what they need. They are not, or are, eating more mineral because they need it, they are eating more or less because of the salt content. It is a constant management decision to regulate the salt in the mineral feeder.
I have heard of people having 16 container mineral feeders. They think the cows will eat what they need when they need it. Everything I have been taught says this is just stupid. gs

Greg a well formulated will have just the right amount of salt. Other ingredients are also included in the same mix to encourage consumption. Not to the point of excess but at least to guarantee as well as possible that all will consume some....some will consume more. Over the years I've noticed some individual cows will always go to the mineral feeder consistently...others will almost never go to it. Maybe they don't need it, maybe they just don't like it. It is a fine balancing act and will never be perfect for all cows. Id' rather them over consume a bit than not eat any. So many of the macro and micro minerals in the mix simply pass though the cow anyway with the cow actually utilizing only a small portion.

John when formulating anything there is always "leftover space" in the formulating that has to be filled with something. This will show up on the list of ingredients as processed grain by-products, plant protein products or something along this line. These have cost as well, often more than the salt. Some of the ingredients have extremely high cost but ahve an inclusion rate literally weighed in "grams".(Vitamins which are extremely expensive) Others such as di-cal or mono-cal may have an inclusion rate of 700 lbs. or more. Some of the by-products included might cost $200 a ton, however, some companies might use something like ground peanut or rice hulls which are "true" filler and very low in price.

 

[RegCowman]

never put out a salt block in 32 years --just minerals

 

[raykour]

I buy my mineral from a local feedmill that makes the mineral themselves. It says to provide salt, in addition to the mineral. The mineral doesn't have enough salt in it to satisfy their need for salt so rather than the cattle trying to get their salt from the mineral block, you are to provide a salt block as well. All of my pastures have a white salt block and a mineral block.

 

[skeeter swatter]

If cattle would eat what they need, then why do companies put flavoring in their mineral.

'Cause they sell mineral.

My cows will eat 4-5 times as much mineral in my lowground pasture than in my best pasture.
There is not a doubt in my mind they eat it as they need it.

 

[herofan]

I have to admit this subject confuses me as to the proper way to provide salt and minerals.

I hear you. I find that I get confused as to how to do anything correctly if I'm looking for advice. If fifteen people answer, there is usually fifteen variations on an how to do it, and i don't mean just here, but with everything in life. I usually don't have time to personally test each piece of advice to see how well it works, so, I just pick one with a little of my own thoughts thrown in, and it usually works as well as the next one.

My neighbor and I were discussing mineral, and he said there were a lot of different ideas, but he figured you could probably put out a block, an expensive bag of mineral, or a cheap bag that you picked out blindfolded, and you probably wouldn't notice any difference in your cows.

It is interesting that I sold some calves in June at around 500 pounds. I didn't give them any feed, they just grazed. They weren't vaccinated, they were trailer weaned, and they actually brought above the average prices that were recently listed in the papers. I suppose if I had done all the extras, they would have brought enough that I could have retired.

I don't know what some of this rambling has to do with mineral. I've been out in the sun today, and I think I got too hot. :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

If cattle would eat what they need, then why do companies put flavoring in their mineral.

they would eat what they need it if was served up in separate plates....mineral is mixed so they get some of each mineral. Most of them are not very palatable so I guess it's sort of like putting chocolate syrup on a turd. You might need what's in the turd...doubt you would or could eat it without a little flavor. ;-)