Calsea- mineral blocks

Lady Haywire

Does anyone here use them instead of the traditional buckets? I was thinking of getting a few as we've had a terrible conception rate this 'summer', especially anything that calved May onwards. They look to have less molasses so would that also mean that they wouldn't be as attractive to badgers?

I can't post links yet but the line has a prefix of Calsea and they're called Calseaprecalver · Calseaphos · CalseaCopper · Calseazinc · Calseafix Grass · Calseadigest · Calseaturnout · Calseamag.

whelan2

I use the calsea precalver blocks. Great job

Lady Haywire

whelan2 wrote: »

I use the calsea precalver blocks. Great job

Better than the uniblock buckets? And would they last the same amount of time or longer?

whelan2

mahanna wrote: »

Better than the uniblock buckets? And would they last the same amount of time or longer?

Only 1 cow held cleanings this spring and she had twins. Also put iodine in water. Blocks are on hanger on wall. Guy who sells them reckons you use half a block per cow but I would use less. Use 1 block a week

Timmaay

Get your vet out to blood the cows 1stly and tell ya exactly what is lacking in the cows, cheapest 100 odd euro you'll spend, you could spend 1000s trying to fix one mineral and possibly be totally missing the actual problem.

pedigree 6

Your poor conception could be down to cows getting too fat before calving.

whelan2

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Your poor conception could be down to cows getting too fat before calving.

yes I wouldnt be relying on mineral blocks to sort out all problems.

pedigree 6

whelan2 wrote: »

yes I wouldnt be relying on mineral blocks to sort out all problems.

No it was just strange that it was just the later calving cows.
I assume they were getting same minerals as early calvers.

Being overfat is a big issue with later calvers.

Lady Haywire

A couple would be fat but not to the point of having lumps at the tail bed. Condition score 4 perhaps, these are suckler cows now not dairy. But the fattest of them all goes incalf every year almost to the day and never repeats. Planning on getting bloods done at the herd test next month anyway so I'll know for sure then but I want to put something out with them now.
The later calving cows are actually the slimmest of all Patsy, I have a thought it could be weather related too or else the grass isn't up to scratch with no sun.
The last lick I had wasn't touched by them and ended up going to waste even though I emptied the water off it every morning so perhaps they want to try a new lick for a change the picky yokes.

pedigree 6

mahanna wrote: »

A couple would be fat but not to the point of having lumps at the tail bed. Condition score 4 perhaps, these are suckler cows now not dairy. But the fattest of them all goes incalf every year almost to the day and never repeats. Planning on getting bloods done at the herd test next month anyway so I'll know for sure then but I want to put something out with them now.
The later calving cows are actually the slimmest of all Patsy, I have a thought it could be weather related too or else the grass isn't up to scratch with no sun.
The last lick I had wasn't touched by them and ended up going to waste even though I emptied the water off it every morning so perhaps they want to try a new lick for a change the picky yokes.

It's the loosing of the weight after calving that stops them going in calf.
On the phone at the moment so can't really look up the scientific side of it.
But it must be a factor in suckler cows being slower now to go in calf than dairy cows now.

On the minerals I bolus mine with Osmond boluses and it's working for me now. No held cleanings and back cycling straight away.

But condition at calving is the biggie.

Lady Haywire

Tried bolus's one year and jesus I swore never again, too much hardship on man and beast. Did I read somewhere about soluble tablets or things that can be put into the drinkers in the shed in winter? That'd be an option I'd like to try if it exists.
When I say the latter cattle are the lighter ones it's more to do with the fact they were kept in late and never caught back up with the ladies that calved first and got out in April, although one heifer is definitely on the thin side, only fluked her there with a pour on after she calved a month ago so she's finding it hard to pick up.