than recommended, move the feeder closer to these areas. If mineral intakes are higher than recommended, move feeders further away. The number of mineral feeders can impact mineral consumption. Refer to the manufacture’s recommendations on number of head per feeder and adjust for number of water locations, size of pasture, and grazing distribution. For Wind and Rain Mineral Tubs, one 225-lb tub is recommended for every 25-30 head of cattle and at least 2 tubs per pasture to ensure intake by younger, timid animals. 4) Availability and intake of other feedstuffs: If cows are being supplemented with other feedstuffs, a decrease in mineral consumption is often observed. For instance, if cattle are being fed Accuration™ liquid or blocks, you may observe a decrease in mineral intake, up to 1/3 less mineral intake. This is due to cattle getting a portion of their mineral needs from the protein/energy supplement. 5) Stage of cattle production: A lactating cow requires more mineral compared to a non-lactating cow, therefore mineral intake can increase. It is important to remember that calves will also begin eating mineral as they get older. A good rule of thumb is to account for 6 ounces per cow/calf pair when calculating mineral consumption. 6) Environment: Mineral intake is higher when forage is lush and tends to decrease as forages mature due to forage digestibility declining with plant maturity. Higher consumption is observed during periods of drought and limited forage availability. Mineral content is also higher in forages grown on fertile soils. Fertilized spring grasses are more digestible resulting in higher
mineral intake from the forage, therefore supplemental mineral will decrease during that timeperiod. Temperature can also play a role in mineral intake. When cattle are in extreme heat or cold conditions, cattle tend to consume less mineral. 7) Water Sources: Water quality impacts intake of any supplemental feedstuff, including minerals. Having freechoice access to water helps drive mineral intake. Cattle that drink from unclean water sources or water sources with reduced availability will experience a decrease in mineral consumption. Also, water sources that have significant concentrations of salts and other minerals will affect mineral intake. This information was provided by Ted Perry, Christina Hays and Dr. Elizabeth Backes.
Pride Ag Resources“Pride Turf” “Turf Talk” Nathan Ratzlaff As I am typing this, I am hoping this is our last blast of cold weather for a while. I hope that by the time you read this we will be enjoying some great springtime temperatures. Hopefully most of you have already put down your preemergent for crabgrass control but if you have not it is not too late. Crabgrass germinates when the soil temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit and after the last frost/freeze of the year. If any crabgrass has germinated and then we get a frost/freeze, generally that will kill the immature plants that
have broken through the soil surface. Our Preventer D and All Season Crabgrass Control products can still be used and generally will provide good crabgrass control if applied by the first part of May. A question I hear often is, “will a preventer keep the dandelions away.” The answer is no, unless you treat for them all year. Normal weeds like this require a fall application before the dandelions pop up in the fall and over winter to them popping out in the spring. If you are fighting spring weeds, I would recommend an application of Weed and Feed+ or picking up a bottle of Weed Killer at one of our Pride Ag Ace Hardware stores and spot spraying your weeds as you see them. For the months of May through June, I would recommend an application of our “Weed and Feed+” or if weeds have been treated and are easily manageable, use our “Maintainer.” The Maintainer is considered our Allseason fertilizer as it can be used in replacement of many other varieties that we offer. It has a good supply of Iron and Sulfur. Also it contains 20% controlled slow release nitrogen providing a steady growth for up to 6 weeks. Another item I would like to discuss would be our Grub Guard. This application should be made before July 4th. This application will provide a good source of Gypsum to your lawn and will provide great control of white grub activity, billbugs, mole crickets and green June beetles. I like this application during the month of June to get through the activity season. One question I have heard in the past is, I already have grubs 6
