Tag: toxicity

How to actually decipher the disinformation about sulfur blocks

How to actually decipher the disinformation about sulfur blocksSulfur 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.

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4 simple ways to avoid extra costs with hay

4 simple ways to avoid extra costs with hayWinter is finally here, though here in Texas, it doesn’t feel like it too much. But with this time of year, producers will put hay out to feed their animals. Depending on how you get it, hay is typically one of the cheaper options when it comes to supplements.

An issue we currently face across most of the country is that the amount of hay available this winter will be low due to the dry conditions. The Texas AgriLife extension service says that the hay crop this year will be bleak due to the extremely dry conditions and the high costs of inputs like fertilizer. Though you may have to stretch your inventory, hay is still a better option, all things considered.

Under normal conditions, hay that is bought is brought in and fed without issue. Using hay is a normal cycle that many produce know well. It would be best if you also kept an eye on things. The “sticker price” of the hay is generally the 1st thing people look at when buying hay, but there are other costs to consider. Here are four potentially added costs that you need to keep in mind.

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A simple idea to use salt to reclaim feed costs

A simple idea to use salt to reclaim feed costsLike any other business, cattle producers are always looking for ways to reduce costs. As any producer will tell you, there is no more significant expense than feed costs. A management tool used quite often to regulate feed intake is using salt. Though it can have some impact, controlling feed intake with salt is not precise and will require some tinkering in order to get it right.

An interesting thing about this nutrient is that cattle have a natural “urge” to consume it. This urge means that, unlike other minerals, they will actually seek it out. If, for some reason, they are not able to find it, then they will try to ingest it from other sources. Consuming from other sources is when you see cattle eating odd things such as tree bark, dirt, and even urine.

It is essential for the overall function of cattle. Along with adding in milk production, it will assist with other functions, too. These functions are things like reproduction, blood flow, and even sweating. However, the last one should be obvious.

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How to avoid nitrate toxicity following a drought

How to avoid nitrate toxicity following a droughtGrowing your own feed despite the cost of time and equipment can have many benefits. Having an inventory on hand can reduce some risks of short supplies. It can also help protect you from any seasonal price volatility. Both energy and protein production can better match your herd’s requirements for simple feed use.

However, despite all of this, there is still the risk of the weather turning against you. Weather events in the weeks, days, and even hours leading up to the harvest can ruin your best efforts. It can transform a carefully raised feed source into a nutritional time bomb. If you are not careful, it can not only reduce your production. Still, it can also endanger the lives of your animals.

Times of extreme stress, like currently with the drought, can cause a build-up of nitrates. While consuming some of them is not bad for your animals, if they eat too much of them, then it can become deadly. Here are some things to look for to prevent this from happening.

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How useful are sulfur blocks for cattle really?

How useful are sulfur blocks for cattle really?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.

The ones that love them say that it helps with external parasite control. While putting sulfur powder has been shown to help in that area there is no, as far as I’m aware, evidence 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 be something that will work for you.

Continue reading

4 ways to avoid extra costs with hay

4 ways to avoid extra costs with hayWell, winter is finally here, though here in Texas it doesn’t really feel like it too much. But with this time of year, that means that producers will be putting hay out to feed their animals. Depending on how you get it hay is typically one of the cheaper options when it comes to supplements.

An issue that we currently face across most of the country is that due to the dry conditions the amount of hay that will be available this winter will be low. The Texas AgriLife extension service says that the hay crop this year will be bleak due to the extremely dry conditions and the high costs of inputs like fertilizer.  Though you may have to stretch your inventory hay is still a better option all things considered.

Under normal conditions hay that is bought is brought in and fed without issue. This is a normal cycle that many produces know well. You should also keep an eye on things. The “sticker price” of the hay is generally the 1st thing that people look at when buying hay but there are other costs to think about. Here are 4 potentially added costs that you need to keep in mind.

Continue reading

How to avoid nitrate toxicity following a drought

how to avoid nitrate toxicity following a droughtGrowing your own feed despite the cost of time and equipment can have many benefits. Having an inventory on hand can reduce some risks of short supplies. It can also help protect you from any seasonal price volatility. Both energy and protein production can better match your herd’s requirements for simple feed use.

However, despite all of this there is still the risk of the weather turning against you. Weather events in the weeks, days, and even hours leading up to the harvest can ruin your best efforts. It can transform a carefully raised feed source into a nutritional time bomb. If you are not careful it can not only reduce your production but can also endanger the lives of your animals.

Times of extreme stress, like currently with the drought, can cause a build-up of nitrates. While consuming some of them is not bad for your animals if they eat too much of it then it can become deadly. Here are some things to look for to prevent this from happening.

Continue reading