Mineral buckets and water

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 8:15 pm

I expect everyone else knows this but it is something that has been puzzling me for some time. All mineral buckets have instructions not to place them near drinking water. Why? And how near is 'near'?

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:28 pm

Hi Sylvia
I believe this is so that the cattle don't take in too much - the mineral lick makes them thirsty and if water is nearby, they will drink then go back to the lick if they become addicted to the molasses ... don't we all?
I have two heifers inside at the minute, due to calve within a few weeks. Their water is of necessity, quite near the high mag lick I have given them but neither seems over interested in the lick so individuals are different.
If they did become over enthusiastic with the lick, I would restrict access to it - probably overnight and removed during the day.

I also alter the licks during the cow's year; high mag in late pregnancy and early lactation but this being reduced to a cattle booster when the cow goes to the bull. I'm told that if high mag is given throughout the year, the body's metabolism changes and it can therefore get out of the habit of 'looking for' the magnesium so producing staggers!
Don't really understand all that!
Jo

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:20 pm

Thanks Jo, it did occur to me that you couldn't keep them very far away if the animals are penned. We are offering a general purpose mineral powder (which looks like sand and smells of garlic) at the moment which seems popular with cows, sheep and alpacas. I really can't think why. Good luck with the calvings and thanks for the tip about hi-mag timing. I wonder how this is managed if the cows are calving in a steady stream through the year, rather than in specific groups?

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:05 pm

Hi Sylvia,
You have probably already checked this out, but in case you haven't. Sheep and cows have different needs for amounts of copper and your general purpose mineral salt is either giving the sheep too much copper or not giving the cows enough copper. You might want to consider feeding two different mixes making sure that the sheep cannot access the cattle mix. I sometimes pasture the sheep and cows together for short periods so in that case I just offer them plain salt. Too lazy to devise a better segregation scheme!

Kathy

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:27 pm

Some very good points being made here.
Up till last winter I always fed a good bit of concentrate feed and never gave any minerals, but having switched to hay only in winter I have not been so brave, and have had buckets out as soon as they were all at grass. At the moment the only pen with a mineral bucket is the one with a cow 6 weeks calved and an in calf heifer. I have looked today at the bucket and can't see any reference to drinking water. I know that it is one of the recognised snags of relying on licks that some animals, be they cattle or sheep, will take much more than they need and others will take much less, but the world is not perfect and a compromise has to be reached.
Keeping North Ronaldsay sheep together with cattle definitely can create feeding problems.

Duncan

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:35 am

Don't worry Kathy (I know I should have mentioned it!) but there are 2 versions of the mix I use. One with, one without copper. I use the one without for sheep and cattle if there is any chance they will be in the same field (my memory isn't what it was and I might forget to move the minerals when the animals move). When.... the cows come in they'll get the copper one and the alpacas get it because they always have their own fields. Hope that is clear.

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:51 pm

My cattle nearly always have access to a molassed mineral lick throughout the year, different types eg Hi Mag depending on the time of year and the breeding state of the group concerned.

I have never had a problem keeping them near water, either inside or out. However, I have wondered whether I will be causing any dental decay by always having buckets available?!
I have tried mineral powders, but as I do not give concentrates, these were given as free access in a bucket. As they are much lighter than a molasses bucket, the young stock would just play with the bucket, even if I tied it to a gate, so that the powder would be spread everywhere! Not very good intake, but great fun!
Penny