Interestingly, there are an increasing number of farmers in this country
(remember this is free range) who have found success in animal performance
AND the budget by using holistic farm management techniques which include
free choice minerals. The form the minerals come in (by keeping them as
natural as possible - read "inexpensive" ) and good management of other
on-farm resources results in efficient and sensible farming.
This is about good practical farming and the results speak for themselves.
We can continue research (that is an industry in itself!) until the cows
come home. At the end to the day it is the skills of the farmer able to
listen, look, smell, feel and learn, who intimately knows and understands
the processes he is dealing with (including a belief that animals do know
their dietary requirements but usually don't have a choice) and the seasonal
and growth phases to which he needs to respond, that will succeed.
There are an increasing number of farmers - some with several thousand head
of cattle - who are taking this approach and are very successful (even
through the most severe drought this country has ever witnessed). I would
not call this nonsense.
Thanks for your time,
Gerhard Grasser
Secretary, Gippsland Organic Livestock Inc.
Treasurer, Organic Federation of Australia
AgriSolutions Pty Ltd
PO Box 81
Darnum VIC 3822
Australia
Tel / Fax (03) 5627 8663
Tel (INT) 61+3 5627 8663
***Natural farming advisory service
***Soil fertility specialists - Albrecht & Mikhail principles
***Vaporjet non-chemical weeding systems
***Independent soil, water and foliage testing
***Kelp, seaweeds and fish for soil, plants and animals
***Mineral fertilisers and stock supplements
***Natural farm inputs - hydrogen peroxide, trace elements, humates,
biologicals, organic fertilisers
***Fodder & pasture seeds
"A man should farm as if he would live 1,000 years, but live as though he
were to die tomorrow."
----- Original Message -----
From: "FW Owen" <fwo@bright.net>
To: <graze-l@witt.ac.nz>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 12:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Graze-l] Free choice minerals
> Hi,
>
> Cafeteria style free choice minerals will not work. It is
> just a sales technique that can be easily taught and
> applied by salesmen with pretty good success (as a sales
> technique).
>
> Cows do not have the mathematical abilities to balance their
> own rations, nor can they do it magically, or any other
> way.
>
> This claim by salesmen was one of the first research
> subjects when the land grant universities were established.
> Since then it has been revisited countless times. It's
> nonsense.
>
> --
> Kindest regards,
>
> =======================
> F. W. Owen
> Owenlea Holsteins
> 9430 Spencer Road
> Homerville, Ohio 44235
> e-mail fwo@bright.net
> home page http://www.bright.net/~fwo
> voice & fax 330.625.2369
> =======================
>
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>
>
