Mag deficiency.

[jemski]

Calving dairy cows on grass you get the same issues especially if fresh off forage crops, about the only way is to dust the pasture and move them onto it in daily or twice daily rations, they have no option then but to have it.
Even thirsty cattle don't drink enough sometimes to get their requirement from water, if you ramp it up they won't drink it
That would be my best solution, causmag, mag oxide, whatever you call it; fill a bucket and put a glove on, if you have no other way
Hope you get them sorted @jemski

It's 24 acres.... may take me some time.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

It's 24 acres.... may take me some time.

Could you divvy off a section with electric, and dust it, chase them on? Bit of work but....
all this is much easier with cows and electic tape (1) if you feed them right then you don't even need the electric on it.

As you said and know they really dislike mag and if they have options they'll avoid it, possibly break feed them in the next field if at all possible? Still feed them right but open-slather could be part of the issue, you may sneak an extra day or two if behind a wire and reading your posts they won't be skinny nor neglected sheep.
I feel for ya

 

[Cowcalf]

It's 24 acres.... may take me some time.

run electric wire to restrict area , cannot be losing ewes for little reason

 

[Yale]

http://www.agrimin.co.uk/rumbul-magnesium-bullets

 

[marco]

As said your problem is excess k over mg, we have been spreading kieserite (mg sulphate/bittersalts) on all our ground here based on the results of Albrecht/kinsey soil tests which tell us our ca mg and k percentages. If it's something that happens regularly you need the tests. If it only happens in certain fields stop spreading k fert and muck on those field for a few years and spread some kieserite

 

[bovine]

http://www.agrimin.co.uk/rumbul-magnesium-bullets

Exactly - mag bolus them. Cheap and simple and stop worrying.

 

[Girlfarmer]

Rumbul boluses - anytime we've had a problem, bolusing has stopped it in it's tracks. That way you know everyone is getting enough.

 

[GTB]

Exactly - mag bolus them. Cheap and simple and stop worrying.

True but getting lots of ewes with young lambs in for bolusing could cause huge mismothering issues plus a lot of stress for both the sheep and the shepherd (ess).

 

[Bury the Trash]

i wouldnt call gathering 120 young couples and bolussing simple either.

 

[jemski]

I spoke to my feed rep and he calculated that .5kg should easily cover their daily requirements so I'm feeding a bit over that. Fed them twice today and all but one are coming to feed, so I pushed that one into the other group/field. Fingers crossed this works. If not I will bolus.

 

[Green farmer]

Lads , I wonder is grass tetany simply connected to the ph not being correct in the field, and the mg being locked up ? Chart is self explanatory.

 

[Richard III]

As said your problem is excess k over mg, we have been spreading kieserite (mg sulphate/bittersalts) on all our ground here based on the results of Albrecht/kinsey soil tests which tell us our ca mg and k percentages. If it's something that happens regularly you need the tests. If it only happens in certain fields stop spreading k fert and muck on those field for a few years and spread some kieserite

Agreed, I would do a good quality soil test and get it sorted for next year too.

One thing many people miss is that low sodium in the soil will result in excessive potassium uptake, which then interferes with magnesium, causing magnesium deficiency. 1cwt/ac of salt is as cheap as chips and can work wonders.

Any grassland soil test really needs to have sodium on it.

 

[neilo]

Agreed, I would do a good quality soil test and get it sorted for next year too.

One thing many people miss is that low sodium in the soil will result in excessive potassium uptake, which then interferes with magnesium, causing magnesium deficiency. 1cwt/ac of salt is as cheap as chips and can work wonders.

Any grassland soil test really needs to have sodium on it.

Every field we’ve tested for it has been low in Sodium here. We don't seem to Get Mag deficiency here, but looking at putting Ag salt on to increase DMI. Just ordered some at £90/t, which works out at £4.50/ac at a cwt/ac.
Not used it for a couple of years, so will be interesting to see if it makes any difference.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Every field we’ve tested for it has been low in Sodium here. We don't seem to Get Mag deficiency here, but looking at putting Ag salt on to increase DMI. Just ordered some at £90/t, which works out at £4.50/ac at a cwt/ac.
Not used it for a couple of years, so will be interesting to see if it makes any difference.

Be interested to see how it goes for you.
I'm considering giving this place a wee sweeten up with some mag lime + salt + sulphur (instead of giving it to Inland Revenue)

 

[neilo]

Be interested to see how it goes for you.
I'm considering giving this place a wee sweeten up with some mag lime + salt + sulphur (instead of giving it to Inland Revenue)

I'm only using Mag lime here now, on the rec of my soils guy. He tells me that the Mag is locked up here, making it unavailable, and the response from using Kieserite on the cereals a couple of years ago was quite dramatic. I had assumed at the time that it was more to do with the Sulphur, but the same response (or dark colour) wasn't seen with Calcifert S the following year, or Polysulphate last year. I have Kieserite coming this week too, to do most of the grassland as well as the cropping area.

 

[Richard III]

I'm only using Mag lime here now, on the rec of my soils guy. He tells me that the Mag is locked up here, making it unavailable, and the response from using Kieserite on the cereals a couple of years ago was quite dramatic. I had assumed at the time that it was more to do with the Sulphur, but the same response (or dark colour) wasn't seen with Calcifert S the following year, or Polysulphate last year. I have Kieserite coming this week too, to do most of the grassland as well as the cropping area.

That's interesting, do you know what is locking your magnesium up? I think it can be calcium, potassium or magnesium. Rather oddly, high magnesium in the soil locks magnesium up and in this situation mag lime would make things much worse. If it is high calcium, then you shouldn't need lime and if it is high potash, salt would be a good remedy.

This could be worth a read :-

http://www.maxi-phi.co.uk/wp-conten...Townsend-Expert-Magnesium-Nutrition-Guide.pdf

(Disclaimer, I'm only interested in soils, not an expert!)

 

[GTB]

Problem soved @jemski ?