From budgeting and financial planning to forage planning, developing a year-round mineral program can be a great planning tool for beef cattle operations. When deciding on what minerals and how much mineral you will need this year, keep these considerations in mind:

Seasonality:

Are you providing mineral supplementation to spring calving cows, fall calving cows, stocker calves, etc.? Differences in requirements in these classes of cattle are worth considering when deciding on a mineral program.

Fly and Tick Control:

A good rule of thumb to maximize the benefit of fly control mineral is offering it 30 days before the last spring frost through 30 days after the first fall frost. This will vary seasonally based on weather conditions.

Health concerns:

Is Anaplasmosis a concern in your area? If so, your veterinarian may recommend offering chlortetracycline. Just keep in mind that you will need a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) to feed a chlortetracycline mineral.

Performance goals:

Ionophores can help promote feed efficiency in cattle and are a great consideration for both growing calves and cows.

Breeding Performance:

Choosing a mineral with highly bioavailable trace minerals like Availa® 4 can help increase conception rates and shorten calving windows.

Expected forage quality:

Stored forages and dormant pastures don’t just decrease in protein and energy, vitamin and mineral content and availability.

If you would like help putting together a mineral program for your operation, contact our sales department to speak with a
Countryside Feed representative!

 

 

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