VitaFerm?

[brenda]

Has anyone on here used it? If so, is it worth the money?

 

[jkwilson]

I switched to it 3 or 4 years ago. Cows love it and I've had way better calving rates and more vigorous newborns since then. Can't say for sure it's the Vitaferm, but I'm not going to switch back.

The cows love it, so they consume plenty. My reason for switching was newborn calves that just didn't want to get up and nurse. Figured I was either going to ship the cows or try something different.

 

[feelnrite]

jkwilson. Which product do you use and how expensive is it? Do you feed one of the products that is for free choice or do you mix it with your mineral? Thanks

 

[jkwilson]

jkwilson. Which product do you use and how expensive is it? Do you feed one of the products that is for free choice or do you mix it with your mineral? Thanks

I feed the Cow-Calf 5 free choice. With Rabon during fly season, and without the rest of the year. They eat it like candy at first, and the calves start in on it really young. Before we started using it, we caught every newborn to give it a selenium and vitamin shot. Now if we don't get after them within a couple of hours of birth they are too quick to catch. The only management change we made between the lethargic calves and the ones too quick to catch was the CC5.

I know it's less than $20 a bag, but not much less. $17 or $18 is what I think. Sounds expensive, but at least they eat it. Farm store stuff just laid in the barrel until it caked up. My cows won't eat the stuff with high magnesium in it. Got a bag by mistake once and they kept sniffing it and walking off.

 

[feelnrite]

that is not as high as I thought it would be. I paid 19.60 per bag for the last ton I bought of Furst McNess mineral. It is good mineral and i dont mind paying for good mineral. Without it I would be in trouble.

 

[CPL]

I've talked with a few people and they have all loved it. I think I am going to try their SureChamp Pellets, should be interesting to see.

 

[johndeereboy]

does anyone use boehinger ingle. (spelling) Range Ready minerals. That is the "best" mineral my feedmill is offering. It seems to be working well, but is there anything better. It is around 25.00 a bag with altosid in it. The altosid is supposed to kill the horn fly reproduction cycle in the manure.

 

[brenda]

I have used the Right Now minerals, especially during fly season, and I have been satisfied with it. The only drawback is there is not a dealer close by. Sweetlix is popular around these parts. But the kind I use for fly control has not worked too well this year. Flies have been a problem for the cattle.
Last time I bought at the coop, they suggested a Sweetlix medicated fly control, the cows do not care for it. Still have some in the mineral feeders that have been there for awhile.

 

[sizmic]

I couldn't afford to keep feeding it, to many other good minerals out there at 1/2 the price.

Sizmic

 

[certherfbeef]

I've talked with a few people and they have all loved it. I think I am going to try their SureChamp Pellets, should be interesting to see.

I love the VitaFerm products. All but the sure champ pellets. The pellet was big around as my little finger and the calves did not like them. The pellet did not seem to be palatable.
I'll stick to the old fashioned Calf Manna like I used to use.

I feed Cow Calf 5 from January thru early april. That is when we calve. Then I switch to breeder booster + mag durning breeding season.

I learned the hard way not to cut costs in the mineral department.