Feeding minerals to cattle

Bass Reeves

MfMan wrote: »

On this point, would it be beneficial to throw on fists of ordinary salt randomly into the silage when pit-filling? Would it's potency be lost or effective?

Potency wouldn't but you gave to understand the volumes involved. With cattle needing 50grams plus per head 50 cattle would need2.5kgs per day. The minerals I am feeding is 13%sodium. If an animal is getting 60 grams of mins he is getting 7 grams of salt. According to the nutritionist I was talking to he needs 50grams plus you would want to put 200 kgs plus into your silage. It's as easy to throw it on top of the silage they are eating. If I could get ordinary rock salt I think it would be ideal but you can only get the pink salt which is a rob

jfh

Dublin zoo need bass to control feed costs, 75 euros per day to feed an elephant

_Brian

jfh wrote: »

Dublin zoo need bass to control feed costs, 75 euros per day to feed an elephant

Must be serious killout on an elephant though. 🤔

Too heavy for the land here in Cavan I’d say

richie123

Bass Reeves wrote: »

What it means is that using licks or buckets can work out expensive. Cattle will often consume huge amounts as they may be short or 1-2 elements on the block or buckets. As another poster alluded to they can get bored as well in a shed and lick it out of boredom.

Cattle require large quanties of salt or calcium and when these are in block form they may lick away to address an imbalance in them. I bought Rick salt a few years ago. I was feeding minerals with it. I could not keep the rocks in front of the pens for the first 10-12days after than consumption slowed back by 50-60%.

For this reason it hard to beat bagged minerals, salt or limestone flour. Jut read the directions on the minerals to find how much the cattle are getting of them and top up with straight salt or calcium

I fed them blocks of salt too..
I gave up all that craic with minerals and what not.diddnt notice any detrimental effects.the less money spent of beef cattle the better

Bass Reeves

jfh wrote: »

Dublin zoo need bass to control feed costs, 75 euros per day to feed an elephant

I have no knowledge of feeding the elephants, but there one or two lads that I feed to the Tigers or the lions

QA1

Buy minerals in Dairygold find them not too dear
Where do lads buy limestone flour

Bass Reeves

QA1 wrote: »

Buy minerals in Dairygold find them not too dear
Where do lads buy limestone flour

It cubicle lime but make sure it not the hydrated ( burnt lime) you get. In Dairygold it's called agrical I think. It's about 4-5 euro/ bag

QA1

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It cubicle lime but make sure it not the hydrated ( burnt lime) you get. In Dairygold it's called agrical I think. It's about 4-5 euro/ bag

Great will try it out find the minerals good for the store bullocks

Water John

For two reasons, one I feed silage bales at the barriers and two I'm organic, I will give the himalayan rock salt a go.

akelly02

I thought you meant like club orange or 7up

Hagimalone

Bass, l bought minerals from grennans, its says not to feed directly to animals and its only feeding advice is 20kg per tonne of feed. Would you advise to sprinkle on the silage or on the ground & at what rate? Cattle are 400kg.Also would rock salt used for salt gritting be OK to feed?

Bass Reeves

Hagimalone wrote: »

Bass, l bought minerals from grennans, its says not to feed directly to animals and its only feeding advice is 20kg per tonne of feed. Would you advise to sprinkle on the silage or on the ground & at what rate? Cattle are 400kg.Also would rock salt used for salt gritting be OK to feed?

15 grams/ 100 kgs should be ok. Sprinkle on ground or on top of silage. No I be slowuse rock salt for salt gritting a bless it is marked food grade.

k mac

Have 8 heifers housed that I hope to sell on out of the shed in feb/march for fattening or beef. Silage is not great quality and I will be feeding no meal, would minerals being needed, and if so how much per head and would I just sprinkle it on the silage daily

Water John

k mac wrote: »

Have 8 heifers housed that I hope to sell on out of the shed in feb/march for fattening or beef. Silage is not great quality and I will be feeding no meal, would minerals being needed, and if so how much per head and would I just sprinkle it on the silage daily

Might be hard to hear, considering you have silage, but your approach needs to be different considering your selling. They need a fairly good diet, even if that means buying silage/feed. Minerals are not the answer.
If you were keeping them, you'd get away with the poor silage.

k mac

Water John wrote: »

Might be hard to hear, considering you have silage, but your approach needs to be different considering your selling. They need a fairly good diet, even if that means buying silage/feed. Minerals are not the answer.
If you were keeping them, you'd get away with the poor silage.

I should say when I say poor silage its not very poor quality, it is just bales that were made when pasture went too strong for grazing but would have just got slurry and no fertiliser but it would be made dry. The main reason I bought them was to use up the silage, I know they won't put on weight if anything they will go back a bit when housed, and my thinking on the minerals was just if they were lacking anything and will be getting no meal. The minerals might add them somewhat and put a bit of shine on them

Bass Reeves

k mac wrote: »

I should say when I say poor silage its not very poor quality, it is just bales that were made when pasture went too strong for grazing but would have just got slurry and no fertiliser but it would be made dry. The main reason I bought them was to use up the silage, I know they won't put on weight if anything they will go back a bit when housed, and my thinking on the minerals was just if they were lacking anything and will be getting no meal. The minerals might add them somewhat and put a bit of shine on them

I would not consider silage made from strong paddocks as poor quality. It was likely only growing 6 weeks at most maybe seven. Yes no N makes it more likely to go to stem. If it's that type of silage I just use minerals with it.

There is starting to be a fixation with minerals. I see lads writing about mins and vit's to be spec'ed for the farm. While this may be necessary in intensive farming situations for most drystock farms it's not necessary. Lads can become obessed in trying to get that extra 10-15 grams per day and not looks at the overall cost and profitability.

Get a general purpose beef mineral and feed about 15 grams / 100 kgs up to a max of 80 kgs. Ideally cattle all need access at same time

jfh

For any one that had used himalayan rock salt, how'd ye find it, it's expensive but I know my cows are lacking salt, would I be better off giving them a shake of minerals, usually only give minerals for the last month or so as there over 40 euros per bag

Bass Reeves

jfh wrote: »

For any one that had used himalayan rock salt, how'd ye find it, it's expensive but I know my cows are lacking salt, would I be better off giving them a shake of minerals, usually only give minerals for the last month or so as there over 40 euros per bag

You can buy Irish rock salt from thus crowd. However they only sell by the ton.270/ ton delivered.

https://www.donedeal.ie/farmproduce-for-sale/irish-rock-salt-licks/26427343

You can also get food grade salt from some co-ops, 8-9 euro for 25 kgs so about 320-360/ ton

orm0nd

jfh wrote: »

For any one that had used himalayan rock salt, how'd ye find it, it's expensive but I know my cows are lacking salt, would I be better off giving them a shake of minerals, usually only give minerals for the last month or so as there over 40 euros per bag

we using it for last 3 years and will continue to do so, ( actually waiting for a tonne bag to be delivered today)

we use calsea blocks for the last 3 weeks before calving and a molassed pre calver block in the calving pens ,

using it for the sheep as well

we find we dont find any cud balls thrown up by the cows and think their coats are better looking and less problems with lameness

jfh

Bass Reeves wrote: »

You can buy Irish rock salt from thus crowd. However they only sell by the ton.270/ ton delivered.

https://www.donedeal.ie/farmproduce-for-sale/irish-rock-salt-licks/26427343

You can also get food grade salt from some co-ops, 8-9 euro for 25 kgs so about 320-360/ ton

that's 100 cheaper than the crowd in limerick which is on my door step

Water John

That silage isn't poor quality. As you say won't put on weight but will store them,
like a Glas meadow.
I would give them minerals to give them a bit of a shine in the ring. Buyers know these type of animals in the Spring and pay well for them, Brexit fingers crossed.