The Right Now� Mineral Solutions Guide
“My cattle are not eating enough mineral, they must not need it, right?”
Answer: As stated previously, “nutritional wisdom”, or the innate ability of cattle to seek out deficient minerals, is a myth. With the exception of salt, and possibly phosphorus, cattle consume what they like to eat. If cattle are not eating adequate mineral, adjust locations of mineral feeders so that cattle will more readily find them, and double check the ratio of number of cows per feeder. As cattle get extensively scattered during the growing season, more feeders become necessary to provide an opportunity for cows to encounter them.
“My cattle are eating too much mineral, what do I do?”
Answer: Before making any changes, calculate mineral consumption and confirm your suspicions. One of the first things to consider is the location of mineral feeders with respect to water sources. Moving mineral feeders further away from waterers or creeks often helps to decrease mineral intake. Managing mineral intake in dry lot situations can be very difficult, as cattle sometimes consume mineral simply because they are bored. In dry lot situations, it may be necessary to provide mineral on a daily basis. A final thought regarding excessive mineral consumption … if dry matter intake is limited, cattle will eat just about anything. Make certain that your cows are getting enough to eat and that the feed is palatable. In situations where the feed is coarse, rank or spoiled, cattle will often over-consume any supplemental feed offered.
“My cows were consuming about 3 to 4 ounces a day, then as we get into the breeding season I have to put out more mineral. I figure they may be eating around 6 ounces. Isn’t that too much? How can I afford that?”
Answer: There are a couple of reasons for mineral consumption to increase during the breeding season. First, adding the bulls to the herd will have an impact on consumption. A bull will generally eat more mineral than a cow, adding one bull is like adding two cows from a mineral consumption perspective. Consequently, if you run one bull per 25 cows you just increased your herd size by 8% from a mineral consumption perspective and we should factor that into the average daily consumption calculation. Second, if they have access, the calves are consuming mineral and this is great from a growth and health standpoint. Calves will begin consuming mineral early in life as they mimic their mother’s activity. It is believed that mineral consumption by the calf is a major factor in increased weaning weights in addition to the increased milk provided by the cow that is consuming a balanced, regionally designed mineral like Right Now� Mineral.
