Make the Most
of Your Mineral Program
Could you be cutting costs on your mineral program — without impacting animal performance? It's worth re-evaluating, suggests Ainsworth, Neb.-based Extension educator Dennis Bauer. "If you are spending over $15-$20 per head per year on mineral, you might want to get a second opinion." He says mineral cost on a per-cow basis per year can be as low as $5 per head.
Bauer notes that many forages have adequate mineral levels. By knowing your feedstuffs, you can better develop a mineral mix that is cost-effective for your needs. Bauer and several Nebraska Extension educator colleagues analyzed more than 1,000 feedstuff samples from 11 northeast Nebraska counties. From those findings, he offers these four tips:
1. Test feeds and forages to find out what you have. Bauer reports that many forages contain adequate mineral requirements, but you don't know what you have — or need — unless you take the time to test. He suggests testing forages for a year or two to establish a baseline of what nutrients are available and when. He emphasizes this should include any supplements you're going to feed, such as soybean meal, byproducts, cake, etc. "Many of these are high in phosphorus, which reduces the need to feed additional phosphorus," Bauer says.
2. Then, take bids on custom mineral mixes for what you need. Bauer says seeking multiple bids can help secure the most cost-competitive price. And, he adds, most mineral manufacturers will do a custom mix based on the minerals you request.
3. Eliminate over consumption. Be wary of extra additives in the mix. "If molasses or co-products are the third or fourth ingredient in your mineral mix, the cows will eat a lot of it because of its palatability — but they may not need that much," Bauer points out.
4. Feed mineral only when needed. Bauer notes that a small amount of salt should be offered year-round to cattle. However, if forages are providing sufficient mineral amounts for the animals' nutritional needs, you may only need to offer a trace mineral mix from late summer through the winter months, Bauer suggests.
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