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OT- Cattle lick tubs

D

Dave from MN

Well-known Member
I supplement my cows( 6 bred beef cows, 1 1000# heifer, and 3 8 month old heifers that I plan on keeping as relacements) hay with lick tubs. I had been using "Mintrate XL tubs"($90)but they didnt seem to improve my cows condition at all, lasted a decent time as long as the didnt get rained on. I started using "Crystalix"($100+/-) 30% Replacement heifer licks last fall and the seem to last 3-4 weeks, and my cows really have improved since having them, but the cost is high. I purchased a 30% lick tub from Fleetfarm last week tuesday for $54, as a trial. Well, it is over 1/2 gone already. Wow, not very economical compared to the crystalix. What do some of you other cattle people use, and what are your opinions? This seems to be an example of "you get what you pay for".
 
I use grain - corn & oats. This year I put some wetter shell corn in the grainery and am feeding that, typically I use ear corn - only a few lbs per head per day. And a mineral salt block.

For the most part they have been grazing cornstalks and oats stubble all winter for the rest of their needs. I put a round bale out every week or so, but they use it more for bedding than eating unless the weather is bad.

Some of the girls are a little chubby, I need to cut back.

--->Paul
 
I have been using the 30% crystalyx tubs for years they are a great product with alot of good crude protein to help them digest and get more good out of mid and low quality hay and stalks. I dont feed as many when I feed the alfalfa though. Down here in IL they cost around 125$ at the local elevator, but I get them through a relitive that works for Hubbard a bit cheaper.
 
Dave about 7 years ago I went to strickley grass hay no corn no oats I have white salt and mineral blocks out at all times,I put protein blocks out when the weather starts getting cold here in wisconsin and vitamins ADE. never have any problems best thing I ever did is quit feeding high dollar corn.been raising cattle for close to 30 years
 
I bought a bunch from TSC one year. Fed them all winter. Only thing that it improved was TSCs profit margin. I didn't see any difference in the condition of my brood cows AT ALL. Never bought another one of any kind.
 
Dave, the cheapest money you can spend is to have your feed (hay???) tested; probably your Extension Service can get it done for a nominal fee. Many years, my dry cows needed no supplement; some years nothing did; some years, everything did. No way to tell just by looking........you may can tell that it's bad, but you can't tell that it's good.
 
Around here the good tubs are at least .40/lb. So I figure you can feed 8 lbs. of $100/ton alfalfa for what 1 lb. of lick tub costs. So I take them about 8 lbs. alfala every other day. I figure the 8lbs. of alfalfa does them more good than the 1 lb. of tub. I feed a mineral mix made from a recipe I got form the vet. Lee
 
Is this something that you have to feed fulltime? or just during winter months? Its designed to reduce feed consumption by conditioning the animals to utilize their feed better if I understand this correctly. Is the benefit really worth the cost?
 
I sell both Kent and Purina. One of the things I have come to believe is that the use of tubs is very misunderstood.

They are intended to supplement a total pasture or forage diet. If your cattle are getting grain or high quality hay they are not needed. The real purpose of tubs is to help keep your cows in good condition to breed, calve and maintain body weight with less that optimum forage or pasture quality.

Both Kent and Purina tubs run about $90 here.
 
Dry cows eating hay out to get fat without any suppliment. The tubs seem way overpriced to me. Figure that if a cow critter eats a pound a day of 30% tub she gets .30 lb of actual protien at a cost of 50¢ a day. At the same time if she gets 25 lb of hay testing 10% protien she is gettin 2.5 lb of actual protien at a cost of 75¢ a day. You tell me which is the better value. feed a good mineral mix and free choice salt. 8oz of mineral salt mix will cost you another 20¢
 
I always found the cheap ones are no good, contain urea and the good ones like the 100 dollar ones are all natural and do as intended, maintain weight and health. As said,,,you get what you pay for
 
Paul
Is that feed amount based on ground shelled corn??
I bumped up the feed weight due to cob content...
I grind ear corn and add some 41% Nutrabeef, some oats, salt, and molasses( I weigh each item)..they get about 4 lb/day ...I am feeding some fair quality hay right now but am starting to go to 2nd cut for the last few mos before calves....they seem in good condition...they get a mineral block free choice..

Thurlow...I may check into getting hay tested and come up with a better ration...

Not sure if Im on/off but my own crazy science...they are happy(cows)...
 
I have to agree with Cowman. Unless you have poor quaility hay or drought conditions lick tubs are a waste of money. I have 190 mother cows and feed only hay all winter. I feed no grain, never have , its not required for gestating cows. They have access to free choice trace minerals and salt. The vet always complements me on the cows body condition. Not overfed and soft but not thin either. Over weight soft cows have more trouble calving. Profits for cowcalf are hard enough to come by without spending thousands a year on high priced treats.
 
Been feeding some cyrstalix tubes the last few years. Never get them with the protein though. Had a neighbor that milked cows and had K-State do some feed tests and said he didn't need to feed the extra protein cause the feed already had enough. Said protein was the most over sold product there was. Try to put up my hay right. Feed dealer is happy anyway.
 
My animals get oaten hay and grass they find in the paddock PLUS I have a 18 lb mineralised stock block in a tub.Fat as fools.No snow though.
 
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