Free choice minerals

[Dsteim]

Hey guys I currently feed the free choice mineral blocks from tractor supply, I was wondering what free choice alternatives I could use? It seems like one of the most important aspects for keeping your conception rate high has a lot to do with minerals.

 

[dun]

Blocks are pretty much useless except to make the owner feel like tyhey are doing something. Most minerals require 2-4 oz a day per head, would take a cow a long time of licking to get that much from a block. One of the major companys should have loose minerals available in your area, or even a co-op if you have one. Purina, Vigortone, Kent, and a jillion others all have minerlas that should have minerals that are more or less formulated for your area.

 

[Tim/South]

We keep HiMag minerals in the feeders from fall until summer. The cows make frequent visits to the feeders. They do not stay long but they go through a lot of mineral each week.
I buy mine from the local feed store.

 

[A.J.]

We feed loose minerals from our local coop. Id say tsc would carry loose minerals from purina or one of their other brands. I would make sure whatever you are feeding is formulated specifically for cattle. A lot of times all purpose minerals or blocks can be fed to cattle, horses, etc, but don't offer the proper amount for any species to really benefit.

 

[Dsteim]

Ok I'll look around at some local feed stores, I also have salt blocks and selenium blocks, is that something I should replace with free choice alternatives or are those ok?

 

[torogmc81]

Vitaferm or Purina w/ Avalia4 for conception. Remember you get what you pay for.

 

[Rafter S]

Ok I'll look around at some local feed stores, I also have salt blocks and selenium blocks, is that something I should replace with free choice alternatives or are those ok?

I'd recommend loose salt instead of the salt block. Don't know anything about selenium blocks. I keep loose salt and loose minerals out year-round.

 

[Dsteim]

Is the loose salt something I can pickup at a local feed store? I was on the purina site earlier and it doesn't seem like they have that available in bags.

 

[dun]

Check the label of the minerals you feed. Some say to provice additional salt, others don;t. Depends on if enough salt is contained in the minerals you're feeding.

 

[fitz]

I'm not saying it's the right way as a lot of folks on here like to keep the two separate but I use a bagged co-op blended mineral with the salt mixed in. It's about 20% salt. I just dump it in the mineral barrels and let them decide what they want.

 

[aprille218]

Purina's loose mineral for cattle is called Purina Wind and Rain.

 

[Nesikep]

I mix the salt and minerals, and calculate how much they should be eating, and adjust my salt/mineral ratio accordingly.

It's a good idea to get a blood test done on a few heavy producing cows about 2-3 months after they've calved to see what they're running low on.. I learned a lot from my mineral panel I had done!.. Cost me $60 but that's nothing if you know what to give them after.

 

[TexasBred]

Purina's loose mineral for cattle is called Purina Wind and Rain.

True but the PURINA WIND & RAIN ALL SEASON COMPLETE AV-4 contains 100% of the Zinc, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt in organic form.

 

[Rafter S]

I'm not saying it's the right way as a lot of folks on here like to keep the two separate but I use a bagged co-op blended mineral with the salt mixed in. It's about 20% salt. I just dump it in the mineral barrels and let them decide what they want.

It's my understanding that when you use that you're paying a lot of money for your salt. That's why I buy them separately. And for the question about loose salt not being on the Purina website, it certainly is available at most feed stores, but I don't know if Tractor Supply or similar chains carry it.

 

[fitz]

I'm not saying it's the right way as a lot of folks on here like to keep the two separate but I use a bagged co-op blended mineral with the salt mixed in. It's about 20% salt. I just dump it in the mineral barrels and let them decide what they want.

It's my understanding that when you use that you're paying a lot of money for your salt. That's why I buy them separately. And for the question about loose salt not being on the Purina website, it certainly is available at most feed stores, but I don't know if Tractor Supply or similar chains carry it.

Thanks. That's worth studying on.

 

[Dsteim]

I picked up Purina Wind & Rain Texas complete mineral and a 200 pound purina accuration block, the purina rep recommended those products over the phone for some free choice feed aside from Hay and that was the mineral he recommended me I'm going to give both of those a whirl. The tub was almost 80$ which seems reasonable for 200 pounds, but a 50 pound bag of the minerals was about 27$ is that about what I should be expecting to pay for free choice minerals?

 

[dun]

I picked up Purina Wind & Rain Texas complete mineral and a 200 pound purina accuration block, the purina rep recommended those products over the phone for some free choice feed aside from Hay and that was the mineral he recommended me I'm going to give both of those a whirl. The tub was almost 80$ which seems reasonable for 200 pounds, but a 50 pound bag of the minerals was about 27$ is that about what I should be expecting to pay for free choice minerals?

That's about what I pay for Vigortone minerals.

 

[branguscowgirl]

My cattle did not consume the Wind and Rain. ( I ended up with some severe deficiencies.)
Keep an eye out, you may have to add something to make it tastier.

 

[Dsteim]

Thanks I'll keep an eye on their intake of it, it's not the end of the world if they don't eat it as I only bought a bag of it to test it out, what do you use as far as free choice minerals go branguscowgirl? In case mine don't like it as well.

 

[jerry27150]

I pay about 17 for 50 lb bag of silvermoon minerals