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Mineral buckets

  • 31-10-2015 12:23PM
    #1
    DJ98
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,411 ✭✭✭


    Would sheep need mineral buckets out this time of year?


Comments

  • #2
    Willfarman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭Willfarman


    Depend s on your land type but if you generally need them then yes this time of the year grass is very watery.


  • #3
    IH784man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 740 ✭✭✭IH784man


    How long before lambing would you put them out?


  • #4
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Used to use the buckets here before, but started dosing with mineral supplement last year instead. At least you know very ewe is after getting some...

    I dunno if this Is better or not?

    What's people take on mineral buckets vs drenches?


  • #5
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Username John wrote: »
    What's people take on mineral buckets vs drenches?

    To paraphrase robin Williams
    It's gods way of showing you that you have too much money


  • #6
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    tomwaterford wrote: »
    To paraphrase robin Williams
    It's gods way of showing you that you have too much money

    Both? Not sure I'd entirely agree, but there is a tipping point all right...

    I dunno, I think it's good to provide some level of minerals. I think they look better / healthier after em, but that's hardly scientific...


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  • #7
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Username John wrote: »
    Both? Not sure I'd entirely agree, but there is a topic point all right...

    I dunno, I think it's good to provide some level of minerals. I think they look better / healthier after em, but that's hardly scientific...

    I prefer to mineral dose them myself...as I do find they just mad for the buckets as they are heavily made up with molasses any I ever got


  • #8
    Green farmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    I know their not the most cost effective option, but I find the mineral buckets handy at this time of year. I give the ewes one a week or two before tupping, not going to do lambing percentages any harm.


  • #9
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Green farmer wrote: »
    I know their not the most cost effective option, but I find the mineral buckets handy at this time of year. I give the ewes one a week or two before tupping, not going to do lambing percentages any harm.

    When I get the place properly fenced into paddocks...il trial it


  • #10
    Green farmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    In an ideal world I'd prefer to drench everything every 3 weeks, but sometimes I don't get around to it, so the buckets are a convenient way out. Recently paddocked the place here. Finding it good so far.


  • #11
    DJ98
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,411 ✭✭✭DJ98


    What are the key signs of a ewe lacking minerals


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  • #12
    Willfarman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭Willfarman


    White dry looking wool. Dry scaly ears. There mineral buckets and there's mineral buckets too lads, some are a deer way of buying molasses


  • #13
    Bullocks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,893 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    Willfarman wrote: »
    White dry looking wool. Dry scaly ears. There mineral buckets and there's mineral buckets too lads, some are a deer way of buying molasses

    Any types you would recommend or advise to stay away from?


  • #14
    Willfarman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭Willfarman


    Bullocks wrote: »
    Any types you would recommend or advise to stay away from?

    Crowd called shamrock in tipp doing a good quality seaweed based licks. I find them good. Lifeline in glanbia and a lot of coops wouldn't have a tenth of some minerals per kg.


  • #15
    razor8
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭razor8


    Waste of time buying licks IMO unless you know you need them, I got grass analysised 2 years ago and found out that cobalt was on the floor and copper was locked up because of molybdenum

    Spend the few euro on the test €75 I think it was and get a few blood tests done would be my advise


  • #16
    Green farmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    Your spot on razor. fixing the ph and the p&ks will get you 95% of the way , but how do you get around the cobalt ?


  • #17
    Bullocks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,893 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    razor8 wrote: »
    Waste of time buying licks IMO unless you know you need them, I got grass analysised 2 years ago and found out that cobalt was on the floor and copper was locked up because of molybdenum

    Spend the few euro on the test €75 I think it was and get a few blood tests done would be my advise
    Who tested the grass for you razor ?


  • #18
    razor8
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭razor8


    Green farmer wrote: »
    Your spot on razor. fixing the ph and the p&ks will get you 95% of the way , but how do you get around the cobalt ?

    Until I tested I was never giving enough cobalt now I bolus and drench on top of that if they need it, bolus doesn't seem to give enough per day on its own for my land type. made a big difference here after that a lot of issues are down to genetics IME


  • #19
    razor8
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭razor8


    Bullocks wrote: »
    Who tested the grass for you razor ?

    IAS labs, just google them


  • #20
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Willfarman wrote: »
    Crowd called shamrock in tipp doing a good quality seaweed based licks. I find them good. Lifeline in glanbia and a lot of coops wouldn't have a tenth of some minerals per kg.

    Lifeline is a feed bucket with about ten times the intake of mineral buckets


  • #21
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    razor8 wrote: »
    IAS labs, just google them

    Hope to get the silage tested for quality and minerals this winter


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