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 do provide them if they are in certain amounts they can affect the absorption of other minerals too. Also, just providing some minerals may not solve all of your problems.
There are some people that believe that cattle will naturally seek out the minerals they need, but this is not true. 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 that you can do to improve the consumption of your mineral supplement.
Why provide minerals
As I mentioned above minerals are very important to the overall health and well-being of cattle. Picking the right supplement here is important 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 should only cost about $10-$20 per cow per year.
High-quality forages and even grains can provide a lot 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 is 2 types” Macro- and Micro-. These are divided up based on the amount that the animal needs overall. As the name suggests Macrominerals are needed in large amounts usually shown in % of the total diet where Microminerals are needed in small amounts 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 play a part in what minerals are needed. One of the main minerals cattle need supplementation for during the winter is phosphorus. In tandem with Calcium Phosphorus is needed 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 where you put the mineral in a bunk or tub and just let the cattle eat whatever they want. Hand-fed is where you pour the mineral out in the amount needed every day. Each has its pros and cons so it is best that you look at what works best for you in your situation.
Because you are putting out the amount that is needed hand feeding can ensure a more uniform consumption. A problem with free choice is that the more pushy cows will eat more than the others leaving the more timid ones to sometimes not 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. It can be difficult to get out to certain parts of the pastures even day to feed the supplements. 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
Pretty much 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 has it included. The mixed with smaller intakes generally have more salt than the ones with greater intakes. This is because they will consume less with more salt because 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 not include it in your calculation of reaching the target intake. The goal here is to make sure that your cows reach 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 25lbs of the mix every day. However, if you add 10lbs of salt to the bag then you want them to actually consume 30lns per day.
Some people think that if they have the salt and mineral separate then 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 2 choices: tubs or loose. As you can probably guess 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 will have to 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 are unlikely to lose any of the product. If the loose mineral gets wet it will seep right into the ground. If it is in a bunk of some kind the top layer is likely to 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 can figure 1 tub should last 50 head for about a month. This means you only have to change it out about once a month or so. The weight of trying to haul and place the tube 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. This can mean an increase in the amount of fuel that you will need so…… plan accordingly.