Cattle mineral tubs or loose?

[WiltonRanch]

What do you guys use for mineral supplement? I prefer loose mixed with high tm selenium salt. Dad come home with these 20% protein molasses tubs which recommend intake was going to cost $0.60 per day. I remember buying some mineral tubs which were 100g per day intake instead of 500g like this one. I don't believe I need to pay that much for extra protein with barley greenfeed and mixed hay. Scads buy these tubs but it just seems bloody expensive. If I wanted protein I'd go to the ethanol plant and get ddg's.

[grassfarmer]

When I need to supplement minerals I use the cheapest form - loose minerals mixed with salt or trace mineral salt blocks. If I need to supplement protein (which is very rarely) I swear by the blocks ADM makes 100% protein rangebuster with Biuret -the most economic way I've found to supplement protein in a grazing or bale grazing situation.

Molasses tubs seem common place but i don't really see their role. Expensive way to feed protein, energy or minerals but I guess good for lazy guys that can't sharpen a pencil.

[WiltonRanch]

Next question what do you use for mineral feeders? Generally I'm cheap and use an empty lick tub but I'd like something to keep the snow out. I'm not spending $500 for one. Once I cut the side out of a chem tote but the destroyed it.

[kato]

Ours get loose mineral mixed with salt. When the cows are on corn we feed 3:1 mineral. We've had the occasional cow go down on us due to mineral imbalance in the past when they were on 2:1. Not any more though.

We do buy a couple of lick tubs for the calves when they are weaned. It makes a difference with them. They'll spend time at the tubs faster than at the feeders, and seems to perk them up fast.

As for feeders, Hubby's favorite ones are built at home. He takes the inside part of an old hot water tank, stands it on end, welded to an old tire rim so it won't tip, cuts a hole out of one side, and leaves enough room at the bottom to hold a bag of mineral and one of salt. They are virtually indestructable, but you do need to pick them up with the tractor to move them.

[grassfarmer]

We buy the round 3 compartment feeders with the rubber lid that the cows have to lift up. They are around $200 I think, maybe a bit less. Very durable but not real convenient if you have to move them often as they are an awkward lift into a truck. I bolted some down onto two skids then hook them on behind the truck to move.

[smcgrath76]

We feed a custom blended loose mineral (contains salt et al) based on our feed tests. It has been as high as 7:1 on swath grazing. When we wean we have used Crystalyx Brigade tubs the last couple of years and they seem to work really well.
We feed our backgrounders pellets with a mineral pack already built in. They are 15% protein and about 77 TDN. We are considering doing this with cows as well to supplement on range in the winter, but would likely up it to a 20% pellet for those purposes. The extra protein will increase intakes and let us sneak extra days of grazing in, and we think we can manage some buckbrush issues with the pellets. Since they are cooked there are less weed issues on native range. As well, the pellets are made with grain, not screenings so there are a lot fewer issues such as ergot and abortions to worry about.
The tubs (even the ones with consumption guarantees) are awfully expensive.

[WiltonRanch]

Sean what is your take on ddg's from the plant in Lloyd?

[smcgrath76]

Can be pretty useful in a diet. They don't fit very well here as we are definitely not set up to handle them. They would make a nice Protein supp at a pretty reasonable cost I think (haven't priced them in over a year).