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Post by jdcarnathan on Apr 23, 2015 18:18:03 GMT -5
My cows run with sheep and get sheep mineral so I bolus with copasure. Lice was bad this spring here, so I went ahead and put fly tags in the ears, ydectin pour -on for worms abd lice, and copper bolused them them with a 25 mg bolus for the big cows. Their coats are rough still, it'd been approximately a month since everything. Still rust colored. Any opinionsz should I give them a shot of multimin 90 to boost it?
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Post by kansasdexters on Apr 23, 2015 19:04:02 GMT -5
Offer them dried kelp, either free choice or mixed with their loose mineral supplement, or give 1/4 cup per animal per day in their "treat" feed. Kelp is an amazing source of micro-nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that are very easily absorbed by most cattle. We started using kelp last November and have gone through more than 350 pounds of it, over the winter, offering it to 70 head of cattle. You should see how lovely their hair coats are! They are shedding out their winter coat in record time, looking sleek and beautiful. I will never be without kelp again! It is the most significant and effective supplement that we've ever used. Here's where I buy it: feed.countrysideorganics.com/thorvin-icelandic-kelp-certified-organic-50-lb-bag.html
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Apr 23, 2015 20:25:19 GMT -5
They might also benefit from a loose mineral that's high in copper, but I know sheep can't have it. If you ever separate them, you might try keeping it available.
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Post by jdcarnathan on Apr 24, 2015 6:27:47 GMT -5
Thanks guys and gals. I hadnt thought about the Thorvin kelp at all. Is that safe with sheep, I am sure it prolly is. I just need to read up on it I suppose. Susan, I would love to put mineral out that is high in copper for them, but the only time they are seperated really is if I am trying to move them somewhere in a trailer. I figure the bolus will work, but I am fairly impatient and like to see an improvement in a month. But I do realize the hair folicles are actually dead cells, so it should be the new hair coming in after the finish shedding out that looks better. Time will tell, and I will adjust as necessary. I am thinking everyone around the place may do go from some kelp so I believe we will give it a go.
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Apr 24, 2015 8:00:12 GMT -5
I prefer quick results, too, jdcarnathan. When we switched to a high copper mineral last year the rep told me it would take about 2 months to see results. I don't think it took that long, but it wasn't immediate. I'm going to add some kelp to Ebby's feed (the only one I'm feeding now). She shouldn't mind because she grew up getting it. My others didn't like it, but I could always try sweetening it with molasses. I still wish ours would shed out faster, but what has shed out does look shiny. We still get some really cold nights here, and we had over a week of solid rain so it's still warming up. I looked at the black cattle in a farmer's pasture as I drove by yesterday, and they look really rough and red, so I guess ours look better than I thought.
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Post by jdcarnathan on Apr 24, 2015 11:29:20 GMT -5
That's good to hear Susan. We have been in the same kind of weather. Warm/cool swings. I'm sure they are still shedding out so we will see. The darn rain (don't stop for good please) has made it rough to do too much.
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Post by hollydzie on Apr 25, 2015 8:57:04 GMT -5
I have had copper problems in the past. I now use a high quality loose mineral supplement and am very happy with it. BUT this year I decided to give everyone a shot of Multimin 90. I am so impressed with the results especially with my bull. We will continue to use it in our regiment. All my Dexters like to be brushed so I use a metal curry on them and that has helped as well. I do have one cow that wont let me touch her and her coat has still not completely shed out. It drives me nuts I want to put her in the chute and go at it! LOL. She came to me deficient and then had a calf which I think makes it show even more, as well as the Florida sun. I will be happy to see her shiny and black.
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Post by jdcarnathan on May 5, 2015 19:25:13 GMT -5
Just had a thought, maybe a hanging mineral feeder for the cows so the sheep cant get into it. Like say 30 inches off the ground hanging from a limb. Think that would work?
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Post by hollydzie on May 6, 2015 9:48:50 GMT -5
Just a thought cattle can be messy with their mineral. What if any of it spills on to the ground, wouldn't that be accessible to your sheep? The loose mineral that I feed ( Fresh Start by sweetpro.com ) gets completely eaten in a matter of a few minutes. I mix it with a small amount of sweet or pellet feed. It is a great product and I have seen a real improvement in my herd since I started using it 3 months ago.
Best of luck, Holly
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Post by hollydzie on May 6, 2015 9:50:44 GMT -5
Fresh Start is fed at a rate of 1 cup per 500 lbs of animal.
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Post by jdcarnathan on May 7, 2015 8:21:55 GMT -5
Well that is an idea too. My only thing is I try not to grain feed, except for maybe once a week or so to keep them nice and sweet. It seems like I may be just having to put the sheep somewhere else probably. Then just rotate them through.
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