-----Original Message-----
From: graze-l-admin@witt.ac.nz [mailto:graze-l-admin@witt.ac.nz] On
Behalf Of Misty Ridge Farm
Sent: Tuesday, 16 December 2003 10:53 a.m.
To: graze-l@witt.ac.nz
Subject: RE: [Graze-l] Free choice minerals
>What is it that leads the farmers to set up a complicated system of
>multi-mineral feeding vs. using a basic on-ground mineral feeder with
one
>balanced range type mineral mix?
I agree with you Rick. If I needed to feed minerals I would buy a
balanced mix which is added to the water trough.
>If you compare the costs of free choice minerals with balanced
minerals,
>what difference do you see? Our cost for stocker cattle/dairy
heifers/young
>dairy steers is US.05 cents per day per head.
Working on these figures 200 head at .05c/day is $10 x 365 days
US$4562.5 per year. Would it not be better to add it to the soil and
therefore the plants? Far cheaper. Here in NZ (depending on the mineral)
you are looking at $7 / ha. So our bill last year for mineral
supplementation (via the soil - Mo, Co, Se) was US$800 approx. The moly
was for the clover. Cobalt and Selenium for the animals.
Our holistic approach is to feed the soil to balance the mineral intake
in the animals. Works a treat.
Regards
Ian Buckingham
Maungatawhiri
New Zealand
