Do most farmer's keep salt blocks in their pens year round ? White blocks , or the yellow sulfer blocks ?
Joined May 2009
1,166 Posts | 0+
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Joined Apr 2009
640 Posts | 0+
Mineral Point, MO
we keep mineral salt block in the pen year round but they dont use them a lot but they are there if they need them.
Joined Apr 2009
1,562 Posts | 0+
cental Pennsylvania
Even though feed mix has a good balance of minerals, My deer will lick down a brown mineral block from tractor supply suprisingly fast, they love them and cant get enough, my 15 adults and annual fawn crop go through 4 or more a year, thats alot being they are 50lb blocks.
Joined May 2009
2,369 Posts | 0+
Chillicothe, Missouri
I have never had much luck with them either. We put all those goodies in our mineral pack and that way we know they are getting what they need.
Thebucks tend to use them a little more but one has lasted me 2 years. i add minerals to my texured feed.
ncw2010 said:
Can you find out the name of it? How do you know they don't get immune to it, and do you provide any other source of of deworming?
Phil- I think he was reffering to the herd guard blocks http://herdguard.com/ they are supposed to help with worms thru the use of diatomaceous earth, thus they dont become immune to it. I personally have these in my pens and agree that the deer like them better than the standard salt block you buy at tractor supply.
I use a liquid mineral supplement ,based on molasses with 3% urea ,3% salt, 3% lime,& trace elements. Species which cannot usually be trained to use a solid block will use this.I go through at least 300kg of molasses per week.Its extra work & expense, however very good value considering the results.My animals diet is grass & browse based.Less than 10% would be grain.Most of the protein from grain is rumen digestible,so the grain or pellets are just an extra & help with herd management ,as its easier to approach & work the animals if they are fed out grain a couple of times a week.Even the feed processors admit 1kg of urea used correctly delivers as much protein as 900kg of grain at 14%. Cheers Sharkey
