What minerals yous feeding loose here, blocks or powder?
Powder and rock salt in two different barrels.
Would they not over indulge on the powder? Thought it had to be spread at so many grams a day, or am I wrong.
I went off the experience of another poster posting here.
The first day the bag of minerals was cleared in the day. The 2nd bag lasted 2 days. The third bag lasted 3 days. Now a bag is lasting five or six days.
It seems they know themselves what they want and will drop demand when their mineral levels internally are met.
Ohh. I know that with the blocks that they would lick the excessively at the beginning as they were lacking something and then would slow down. Assumed the powder was different as it could be ate very quickly and over indulged. Yous have proven otherwise. Good to know.
Do you have outside the barrier or will they **** in them?
In the house/yard. And hasn't happened yet.
Nothing to do with above but silage baled in November. Seem to be liking it well.
Would you recommend the rock salt? Would that much last long for how many cows?
I think I would. The second question I've no idea on your or my cows. I offered it there a month ago and they couldn't get enough. They were mad for it. I stopped for two or three weeks now and I've offered now again today and they barely have an interest. They have been getting precalver powder minerals though in that time. There'll be lots of variables if a cow or heifer requires it from mineral status of silage to stage of pregnancy to whatever minerals are in the drinking water to viruses or whatever is floating about. You'd see the regen types grazing stock and they offer a wide as range as possible of minerals in a cart and the stock pick whatever they require. Gradually I'm trying to go further that way but only for the housed atm. I'm going to get more barrels and make up more with humates, and possibly seaweed powder. That'll be four barrels of a choice.
I started using it last winter. I find the weanlings/yearlings never seem to stop licking. The cows love it too.
My ton bag is nearly gone. The bigger question is, that, is it worth the money? 450 euro is a fair bill for salt, it would buy 18 mineral buckets at 25 Euro each.
..😀
Did that tonne bag do many cattle.
In fairness there's a lot of licking in a ton. Roughly 90 cattle for about seven months , 2mths of last winter and have enough till they go out this year.
Its very satisfying for the younger cattle, they seem to stay licking constantly, they are only on one kilo of beef nuts and thriving, and a big rock lasts them a long time.
I might probably only give it to them and the in calf heifers. The cows are on lifeline pre calf powder. I don't think they need it.
That puts it into some perspective, 18 mineral buckets wouldn't be much use to them.
The problem with mineral buckets surely is stock going back for the molasses even though they have enough of the mineral. It kinda does away with the whole notion of animal’s knowing what they need.
AndI’ve been told badgers love the molasses too.
Animals don't know what they need, they just like the taste.
Cattle eat dead ragwort so they don't even know what's good for them
We’ve moved beyond the thinking of “stupid animals” in farming circles.
I would agree with you, I think molasses based mineral buckets are mostly sweets not enough min-vit
450 euro would buy 22-25 bags of Daurygold superchoice minerals that is where I would spend the money
How do you feed the rock salt - just leave it on the ground for them to lick ?
I wanted to make it easier to get milk out to the calf shed.
I bought a 50 meter roll of inch pipe and a few meters of yellow pipe and a flow meter (hasnt arrived yet). I had the fittings already and the tap. I found the easiest route out along and I put an elbow down low at the water tank so I can take up the pipe when I need to and put a blank on the elbow when I don't need it anymore. When I'm finished pumping out the milk I can wash out the pipe and purge it using the air line. I hang the yellow pipe back over the wall into the collecting yard when it's being washed out
Simple but effective.
What is pumping the milk and have you set up a return pipe for when you turn nozzle off at flow meter?
Came across this;
https://www.reddit.com/r/maybemaybemaybe/s/trxl9b34hn
Was having difficulty moving round bales of chopped straw around to bed sheds so I came up with this. Bit of polythene would do instead of the rubber mats.
Good job. Had straw here a few yrs ago that the contractor accidently chopped. The straw was bone dry and it was torture using it. Going everywhere except where it was meant to go.
God only knows what you were looking up, that that came up
The milk pump in the parlor is pumping out the milk, then air purge out the line. The flow meter didn't arrive yet. At the end when the parlor is washing I send some of the water out through the pipe to clear out the last of the milk.
Looking for a cement mixer- the small site ones- anyone recommend brand/type. Electric or petrol- use a couple of times a year.
I’ve the tractor mounted one but I’ve a few jobs to do with it and realistically too big for smaller jobs.
Belle. Hard to beat petrol on a farm. No cables to worry about. Should be easy enough to pick up a good 2nd hand for not too big money.
