Pre calver minerals

podge 23 said:
What pre calver minerals do lads find best for dairy cows ?
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That's going to be soil specific. For pre calving we use cheap minerals and over feed them, we then feed extra iodine as deficient here. This year we had to add extra Magnesium to diet as high K silage left us with a few cases of milk fever and ecoli. Lost one cow and another is now dry as a result. Post calving we use a nut with high mineral content. We are also adding Magnesium for tetany, Copper and iodine as deficient in those here also.
 
We switched to calsea seaweed based licks this year after loosing afew calves at the start. They worked great so will be standard precalving from now on. We are sucklers though
 
podge 23 said:
I hear you brucey ! Any 1 use lifeline or agritech minerals ?
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I am using agritech minerals , for both dry cows and cattle , for 10 years plus .
Happy with them , stock look well , calves very lively . I am sure I could buy cheaper minerals , but I am happy to pay that bit extra for having healthy lively calves , and cows cleaning .
 
Wasn't happy with the Agirtech minerals last year. Had a lot of issues with retained cleanings. Switched minerals this year, used Gain Pre Calver Gold mainly and used some Lifeline at the end and was very happy with both.
 
Ya we had a lot of problems with retained cleanings as well so that's why i was thinking of trying a different brand .
 
podge 23 said:
Ya we had a lot of problems with retained cleanings as well so that's why i was thinking of trying a different brand .
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I add 90 grams/head of call mag in with my minerals. I'm using co op source minerals probably not the best on the market but find adding the cal mag a great job. I also feed 1/4 of a kg of soya/head to dry cows 6 weeks before calving. Had one retained afterbirth this year it was a heifer that had a dead calf inside her for a few hours and had a hard calving.
 
I read an article on Kyle McCall from Armagh this year where he said he sprayed Iodine onto the cows once per week in the run up to calving, said it eliminated his issue with retained afterbirths, interesting as hadn't heard of anyone else doing that previously.
 
Nashty said:
I read an article on Kyle McCall from Armagh this year where he said he sprayed Iodine onto the cows once per week in the run up to calving, said it eliminated his issue with retained afterbirths, interesting as hadn't heard of anyone else doing that previously.
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I think @6600 said he was doing this on here?
 
Mf240 said:
What suits one farm might not work on another. Find lifeline good here
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Definitely, use minerals all through the winter here, had one retained cleaning. When you have sleepy calves you tend to try everything. Brucey put me on to the iodine thing which may have been low with us.
 
Using agritech minerals (yellow bags) the last good few years. Working well.
Had problems in the past holding cleanings. Tried the iodine, tried tablets in the water. Not convinced.
 
Inform are amongst the most reliable mineral producers , altec have some new chelated and organic available mixes as well. But seaweed in a simple form is one of the best in my experience. Its organic so bioavailable for stock to digest and take what they need without worrying of it being toxic. Dock is high in iodine, so some of you must have a great spraying program .
 
Going back to the iodine brucey how do you supplement them with it along there back is it ?
Would a high iodine bolus be an option or tablets in the water ?
 
podge 23 said:
Going back to the iodine brucey how do you supplement them with it along there back is it ?
Would a high iodine bolus be an option or tablets in the water ?
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Pre calving we mix the iodine 50:50 with water, put it in to a watering can and put on top of their silage once a month. We make sure the cows are hungry and we have plenty of feed space. We might go more than once a month if we're not happy they're all getting to it.
Post calving, we have a mineral induction hopper going in to the parlour, we mix the iodine with Cal-Mag, Copper Sulphate and sometimes cobalt.
 
give a bolus approx 4 weeks before calving starts, cows have access to Himalayan rock salt and calsea pre calver blocks

1 retained cleaning this year from a cow that had twins
 
If tight on feed space like we are would tablets in the water be a better option ? Along with the pre calver minerals on the silage..
 
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