Don’t cut back….
…on the minerals. We’ve noticed in the past week or two that the cows have suddenly increased their intake of minerals. We’re assuming the bitterly cold temperatures have finally done-in the fescue grass, which is pretty good feed in the winter. But the cows (or in this case, the young bulls) know best. We’ve also begun to put a bale of hay in front of our growing animals—the bulls and heifers—and it is interesting that they know how to balance their intake between the alfalfa and regular hay.
As the old saying goes, God taught the cow all it needs to know to be a perfect cow!
Incidentally, our main herd is till on grass (but with the same cafeteria minerals from 12 Stones). We still have a fairly good stockpile. Will this be the year we finally fulfill Jim Gerrish’s order to “get the hay out”?
4 Comments
Eric Smith
I think the cafeteria style minerals is an intelligent management choice. It’s kind of odd in that they would never find these minerals in isolation in nature. Like a pile of copper sulfate, etc. But neither would they be isolated from the broader world of forage selection. Like woven wire fence does. I am wanting to begin this same program so I will contact Bill Roberts at some point this spring. In the meantime I would love to hear some details of your experience. Like which minerals do they eat the most of and which ones they never touch. I realize it may be completely different for me on my farm but I just wanted to hear what your experience has been and any other comments you may have. Thanks and I really enjoy your blog posts!
David
You’re absolutely right, Eric. In the perfect world, which ended a few thousand years ago, cows would have gotten all they needed from the grass.
But despite their wisdom in political matters, our Founding Fathers just about destroyed the soil in America, particularly east of the Mississippi. And going way back, cows’ ancestors were, of course, free to roam to get the selection of grasses they needed.
It’s interesting that here at Thistle Hill, sometime back, we did see our cows actually eating dirt from time to time. Apparently they were that starved for the minerals they needed. It is our expectation, if we live long enough, to see the minerals we’re feeding now find their way back to the soil in sufficient quantity to replicate the soils that were once here. I estimate about 100 years.
We just topped off the feeders for the breeding season, so I’ll be able to report back on consumption variations. Generally, our cows do take at least some of everything during the course of the year but the “favorites”seem to be: A-Mix, Selenium, Sodium Bicarb, BVC, Copper and P.
Our soil is very rich in iron and we discovered we needed the Bicarb to keep their digestive system balanced.
Richard Maurer
David:
Our cows still love the A-mix and have also been “tanking” up on K-mix, Thorvin sea kelp, and some Cu and a little P. Also had to add some salt for the first time in a long time.
They’ve dropped off on the BVC, which they usually scarf up.
Otherwise, they aren’t paying much attention to the other minerals.
Keep up the interesting blogs.
Rich Hamilton
We’re still on kelp in a free-choice feeder and trace mineral & sulfer block licks for our herd. Have yet to make the jump for the bar feeder setup…they are hitting all three sources pretty hard about now though.
And I’m jealous…we have zero grazing for ours…hay it is for a good month or more yet…