Mineral Tubs for Cattle

M.L. McKnight

M.L. McKnight

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I have raised my cattle on grass and have been satisfied with the results. My bulls get a touch of feed on occasion but other than that I like raising grass-fed beef. A buddy of mine swears by mineral tubs, I know that they will cease being "grass fed" once I plop a tub in the pasture for them and that really doesn't bother me. What I'd like to know is whether or not any of yall have had good luck with mineral tubs, if you have noticed any significant improvements in overall gains and if you would recommend using them.

The only other cow I feed is my Jersey and that is just right before she calves and when she is in milk, she is pretty much my boss cow and tells the beef cattle where to go and how to get there.

Thanks.
 
WildRoseBeef

WildRoseBeef

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Though I've had no experience with mineral tubs per se, I've had great results with putting out a trace mineral block with our steers. Originally we had always given blue cobalt blocks to our cattle, but with the TM blocks their coats were in much better shape and they seemed to gain better too compared to when they were on blue blocks.

So if the tubs are going to have all the minerals--and more, which is likely--you might be seeing some good results with them. They'll definitely be hogging and competing over the tubs for a while for the first bit, but I'm sure that you'll be seeing some better looking animals with the introduction of the tubs.

Have you been feeding them different mineral before deciding to go with the tubs?
 
M.L. McKnight

M.L. McKnight

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I keep mineral salts blocks in with them at all times. The tubs are the ones with the cottonseed meal, feather meal, minerals and molasses binder. I picked up one at the COOP, put it in the bucket of my tractor and dropped it off in the pasture. So far so good.

I had to make sure that I didn't get one with urea in it because the goats get in there with the cattle when they decide to work on their escape routine and I had to make sure that it didn't have monensin because of the horses. I don't run them with the cattle either but I figured I'd play it safe.
 
greybeard

greybeard

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With those ingredients, this sounds more like a protein tub, with trace mins than a mineral supplement tub.
Protein tubs generally have over 20% protein, around 3.5% fat (or more of both) some addittional minerals, while a 'mineral tub' will have much less protein and a greater spectrum of minerals listed on the tag. The last tub I looked at that was labeled and advertised as a mineral tub had only 6% protein, which is fine for a mineral tub.

I have pretty good luck with protein tubs as a feed supplement to hay and cool weather forage in winter, but feed only loose minerals and loose salt year round.
Mineral tub:
http://www.vitalix.com/assets/products/2014 Products/-70-purebred-cow.pdf
Protein tub:
http://www.vitalix.com/assets/products/2014 Products/-3.pdf
 
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