cow mineral

[smcgrath76]

Our last load of breeding mineral ran
$850 per tonne. Our regular maintenance
mineral was $575 last go. This varies
depending on ingredient prices but
includes all salt, mineral and vitamin
premix. The breeding stuff generally
runs about 150% of the cost of
maintenance mineral but is only needed
for about 3 months a year (1 month
prebreeding then 60 days of breeding).

[grassfarmer]

How much salt is in these mixes you buy Sean?

[smcgrath76]

GF - it varies. Would have to go find
my last sheet. The salt is used in part
to control intake as well, since it is a
loose mineral. I will talk to Marc and
find out more as I have to take some
tests in over the next week or two. I
rely on him pretty heavily as I don't
always have time to run everything
through cowbytes.
He is a dairy guy so has a lot better
handle on nutrition/production than us
poor beef types.

[chaser]

What do you use as a feeder so mineral doesnt get wet?

[SCS]

We use the Cargill mineral. weather resistance to a degree. We really like the results on what it is doing for us!

SCS

[grassfarmer]

We use these plastic 3 compartment mineral feeders
with the rubber lid that the cow has to lift to access
the mineral. I think they are a brilliant invention and
the only way we have ever kept minerals dry
successfully. We buy them from Peavey Mart and
mount them on skids so we can just hook on to move
them from pasture to pasture without lifting them.

[tweaker101]

GF how well do the plastic lids work in the cold weather?...we are using tubs but looking for cheaper alternative. Any comments?...

[tweaker101]

Sorry should have said rubber lids...LOL

[15444]

The rubber lids are great. I use the Behlen 3-compartment feeders for all the herds. I can pick them up in Minnesota for 139.00 a piece. My neighbour is all about the Sioux Steel tubs and while they are taller and a little heavier, they cost a good $40-50 more, so I haven't went there. Also he has had a lot more problems with the lids tearing, something I haven't had a problem with.

Some mount them to tires for added stability/weight, but I leave them as is. The cows flip them if they are empty and leave them that way...which sure makes it easy to know which need filling. Although GF's idea of mounting on skids would make them a lot easier to move.

[grassfarmer]

The rubber lids hold up fine in winter and the cows
will still use them. We actually feed the tm salt blocks
on the ground in winter. We don't get much rain in
winter lol. Once they get licked down to the point
where they nearly break up I replace them with a new
one and use the little pieces for the odds and ends
around the corrals where I can put them in a feed
bunk.

[ASRG]

Being a "poor farmer" type I never used any of these high priced things!
Just welded up some stout mineral feeders from 2 3/4 pipe and plywood. A couple of loops on the pipe skids to drag them around with the quad or pickup.
I really never worried too much if a bit of snow blows in and gets the mineral/salt wet....they lick it up anyway?
I have some land where they really don't eat hardly any salt/min...and other land...where they eat me out of house and home!

[ASRG]

one other thing.......When I actually cared......I had a supplier who mixed in sulpher......it virtually eliminated mosquitoes and horn flies on the cattle!
I'd be getting eaten alive walking amongst the cattle.....and not a mosquito on them!
(I actually considered having a teaspoon myself....I'm one of those people who get the hell ate out of them in a crowd!)
I don't think it was all that expensive. This guy has since sold his business (Innisfail minerals-I think) to Blue Rock minerals....I don't know if they still offer this mix.

[burnt]

ASRG - "...when I actually cared..." LOLZ!

I can relate!

[tweaker101]

So I am guessing that most of you folks think that mineral tubs are not so good....might as well be burning $20.00 bills in them tubs...haha. We have been using tubs for years and never seem to have much problems...I was just reading and thinking that maybe loose minerals would be a better option, the only conerns that I had would be the waste from the weather?

[grassfarmer]

The problem with tubs is the price in my opinion.
Once cows start getting into them it's like a kid in a
candy store. When you figure out the daily cost you
could often be giving them 3 or 4 lbs of grain or
pellets for the same price and would get way more
bang for your buck that way.