Dietary minerals are necessary for optimal growth and reproduction. The amount needed depends on forage mineral content, the animal’s age, and the production stage. Just knowing what the cow requires is only 1 component in evaluating its mineral status. Even the soil type, fertilizer used, and rainfall can affect what mineral is available at a particular time.
While forages and even water can provide some minerals to the animal, they may still be lacking. No region will have every mineral available at all times. Even if they offer them, if they are in specific amounts, they can also affect the absorption of other minerals. Also, just providing some minerals may only solve some of your problems.
Some people believe that cattle will naturally seek the minerals they need, but this is untrue. In fact, cattle are much like people in that they only eat what they think tastes good. The problem with that is that some minerals have a bitter taste, so they are less likely to eat them. Here are some things you can do to improve the consumption of your mineral supplement.
Why provide minerals
As I mentioned above, minerals are essential to cattle’s overall health and well-being. Picking the correct supplement here is vital for maintaining both healthy and productive animals. You will want to select one that will meet the animal’s needs while not breaking the back. A good mineral program costs about $10-$20 per cow annually.
High-quality forages and even grains can provide many of the required minerals, but that can fluctuate. Harvested forages tend to have fewer minerals than ones in the pasture. The drying-out process that hay goes through is the cause of most of this loss. As forages mature, their overall quality will decline as most of their nutrients are transferred closer to the root system for winter storage.
When it comes to minerals, there are two types” Macro- and Micro-. These are divided up based on the amount that the animal needs overall. As the name suggests, Macrominerals are required in large amounts, usually shown in % of the total diet. In contrast, Microminerals are required in small quantities, usually listed in ppm. Some of your most common Macrominerals are things like Calcium, Phosphorus, and Potassium. If you are looking for more information on this subject, check out Mineral Supplements for Beef Cattle by the University of Georgia.
The time of year can also influence what minerals are needed. One of the leading minerals cattle need supplementation for during the winter is phosphorus. In tandem with Calcium, Phosphorus is necessary for the animal to have good bones. Most forages are low this late in the growing season, so cattle are more likely to be deficient during this time. Supplements such as cottonseed and soybean meal can be used because they contain moderate concentrations.
Free-choice minerals vs hand-fed minerals
Two of the most common mineral delivery systems are free-choice or hand-fed. As the name suggests, free choice is putting the mineral in a bunk or tub and letting the cattle eat whatever they want. Hand-fed is where you pour the mineral out in the amount needed every day. Each has pros and cons, so it is best to look at what works best for you in your situation.
Hand feeding can ensure a more uniform consumption because you are putting out the needed amount. A problem with free choice is that the more pushy cows will eat more than the others, leaving the more timid ones sometimes not to get the amount they need. Hand feeding allows you to space it out more evenly, giving every cow a chance to get what they need.
Where the cattle spend their time will play a role in which the system will work. When cattle spend most of their time in the pasture, free choice is the better option. Feeding the supplements can be challenging to get out to certain parts of the pastures daily. If you miss a day or two, it is likely that when you put it out again, the cattle will overconsume the minerals, so there is that.
In order to control the amount that is being consumed, you will need to consider the salt. Despite the more bitter-tasting minerals, cattle will actually seek this out, so the amount you mix in can influence consumption. Since they seek it out, you can use it to make the supplement more palatable.
Salt is the key.
Every mineral supplement that is used in winter should contain salt. The fact that cattle will eat minerals with salt added plus forages being deficient in it is why all free choice minerals have it included. The mixed with smaller intakes generally have more salt than the ones with greater intakes. Mixed for smaller intakes is because they will consume less with more salt. After all, they get their salt “fix” with less intake. I go over in more detail the importance of this in a previous post, “Purpose of salt for cattle”.
If you are mixing salt into the mix at home, then you should leave it out of your calculation of reaching the target intake. The goal here is to make sure that your cows get the target intake of the actual mineral. Let’s say that if the target is 4oz per head per day for a mineral mix, then for 100 cows, you want them to consume 25 lbs of the mixture daily. However, if you add 10 lbs of salt to the bag, you want them to consume 30 lbs daily.
Some people think that if they have the salt and mineral separate, then it will reduce intake of the mineral, but that is not the case. All that will happen is that you will have more variability in the intake among your herd. Some of your cows may eat the minerals, but others will only be consuming the salt.
Lick mineral tubs or Loose minerals
When it comes to minerals, there are two choices: tubs or loose. There are differences in how they deliver the minerals. Which one will best provide for your needs will depend on your situation,
The wind can cause the loss of minerals in the loose form, but that is not the case with the tubs. Most lick tubs are made up of 200-250lbs, so it is difficult for the wind to knock it over. Even if it was managed to get laid over, all you must do is stand it right back up. The loose mineral is more likely to be blown away depending on the size of the I suppose you can call them kernels.
Another weather event that can create waste is rain. A tub may get some water on the top, but you will unlikely lose any of the product. The loose mineral will seep right into the ground if it gets wet. If it is in a bunk of some kind, the top layer will likely become crusty, making it unpalatable.
Labor is another issue that you should consider when selecting which delivery method to go with; the labor cost of the tub can vary on some things, but one tub should last 50 head for about a month. You only have to change it about once a month or so. The weight of trying to haul it and placing the tub will also need to be factored into your figures. With loose minerals, it is likely that you will be feeding multiple times a week, if not every day. Needing to feed multiple times a week can mean an increase in the amount of fuel that you will need, so…… plan accordingly.
