Sulfur salt blocks have generated a love/hate relationship among many cattlemen. Some love them and swear by them, while others feel they are a waste of money. It can be a bit of a headache to understand either side truly.
The ones who love them say that it helps with external parasite control. While sulfur powder has been shown to help in that area, there is no evidence, as far as I’m aware, that the block does that.
As with everything, there are pros and cons to using them. While there is some benefit to feeding sulfur, one must also be careful. You need to weigh the options yourself and decide if it could work for you.
Providing a feed supplement to cattle that are grazing in certain areas is expected, and for good reason. Cattle often cannot get enough from just rangelands to meet their nutritional requirements. Producers have many choices when it comes to feeding supplements. However, it is best to be careful when deciding what supplements to use.
Salt, along with other minerals, is necessary to sustain life in cattle. Much like with humans, they are essential building blocks for living beings to perform at their best. It is needed for the body to perform even the most basic of functions.
Salt blocks are available to producers in a variety of different colors. This variety is something any trip to your local feed store can tell you. Each color represents different situations in which they are needed.
As sure as the turning of the world being in winter means having to buy feed. The reason for that is that during this time, forages go dormant and provide less for animals. Though they do not like it, producers must buy supplements to feed their animals during this time.
When people think about tetany, they think of something that happens only during the spring. It’s something that usually occurs when cattle are eating lush spring grass or annual cereal forages. However, it can also happen when cattle are fed harvested forages like silage or hay.
Weaning is one of the most critical times for a cattle producer. It is a time for all of their hard work begins to pay off with an excellent large calf crop. Though it may be of benefit to the producer, it comes with its problems.
Getting calves to gain weight most efficiently is the goal of every cow/calf producer. Some producers have found that using a creep system is a way of achieving that goal. Regarding creep systems, there are two options: Creep grazing and creep feeding a concentrate supplement. Both methods have pros and cons, so it would be best for the producer to research what works for them.
A protein tub is an excellent way to provide extra nutrition when needed. One benefit is that once you place it in the pasture, you don’t need to check it daily. The protein tub is helpful for those that may have a job back in town.
Sulfur salt blocks have generated a love/hate relationship among many cattlemen. Some love them and swear by them, then others feel they are a waste of money. It can be a bit of a headache to truly understand either side.
