Why Cattle Need Salt
Salt, along with other minerals, is necessary to sustain life in cows. Salt is sodium chloride (NaCl). The interesting thing about salt is that cattle have a natural “urge” for it. If they can not find it, then they will try to ingest it from other sources, such as tree bark, dirt, or even urine. Salt is a necessary mineral that needs to be consumed daily by the cow.
This mineral plays many roles in the overall function of the cow. These functions are things like reproduction, aid in proper nerve and muscle functions, blood flow, body pH regulation, water retention, and even sweating. Salt helps cattle maintain normal appetite and body weight, as well as increasing feed consumption and weight gain. Salt also increases thirst; encouraging the cow to drink more water. Cattle on salt mixtures drink 50 to 75% more water than normal or approximately 5 gallons of additional water for each pound of salt. Salt is a very important nutrient as it provides many benefits and is needed for the general functioning of the cow.
Salt Requirements for Cattle
The amount of salt that a cow needs to consume will depend upon their age and their stage of production. For example, a dry mature cow will not need as much salt as a cow that is in the early lactating stage. An appropriate amount of salt consumed each day should be 0.005 to 0.01% of their body weight. Therefore, a mature cow at 1,200lbs should consume 1-2 ounces daily. The type of feed that cows are consuming can also affect the amount of salt they will eat. Cows tend to eat more salt with a high-forage diet vs a high- concentrate one.
It is important to balance the minerals for your cattle to reach optimal performance. Minerals like potassium can inhibit the absorption of salt. The salt-potassium balance in cattle is related to their absorption of magnesium. Therefore, in the early spring it is possible for your cows to get grass tetany. It is during this time that potassium is high in forages while at the same time salt is low. This is why salt needs to be supplemented.
Products of the Week
This natural mineral source is first mined from a seabed in central Utah. Then it is crushed and screened to the size of course sand or 40-pound blocks. It provides more than 60 naturally occurring trace minerals and allows for use on organic farms, (OMRI-listed). Redmond natural trace mineral salt is safe to feed to dairy cattle, beef cattle, equine, sheep, goat, swine, and poultry.
Product Characteristics
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- Improves livestock health and production
- Ideal for mixing into rations or feeding free-choice to livestock
- Contains naturally occurring essential trace minerals including zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, and more.
- 100% all-natural mineral
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“O” SK Blend is a free-choice mineral that provides supplemental salt and kelp to livestock. This free choice package also meets organic production standards.
Product Characteristics
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- Contains Redmond Natural Trace Mineral Salt which is highly palatable and contains numerous trace minerals found in ancient salt
- Contains Thorvin Kelp as a source of over 60 trace minerals and vitamins
- Helps improve reproductive health, immune system function and hoof health
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