Mineral blocks the sheep didn’t eat

[AJC77]

Hi, we tried a mineral block last winter that the sheep, or deer, just didn’t take to. We’re newbie farmers, but getting some advice from an experienced man who works for a family member. Were recommended a Lachlan Macgregor product and bought 2 1/4 pallets to see them through the winter. Got 1 1/3 pallets left! Animals just not interested in it. Put in some crystallix to sheep and deer for comparison, straight in. Blocks have a use within 12 months of manufacture. Manufactured in august 2020.
Any suggestions what to do with the leftovers? Was going to contact manufacturer and see if they would take them back for re-processing, at least I might get something back from them.
We’re hill farming in Scotland with a black face/swale cross flock outwintered on the hill. A hard winter for them, where you would think they would take anything they could get.
(BTW the guy who suggested them also has a similar amount sitting in the yard. obviously we will be trying something else next year.)

 

[tepapa]

A crystalix block is an energy block which sheep eat like sweeties. I'm not familiar with the mineral block you have but if that's what it is rather than an energy block the sheep will only take little bits at a time rather than try and eat them for lunch.

 

[bumkin]

Hi, we tried a mineral block last winter that the sheep, or deer, just didn’t take to. We’re newbie farmers, but getting some advice from an experienced man who works for a family member. Were recommended a Lachlan Macgregor product and bought 2 1/4 pallets to see them through the winter. Got 1 1/3 pallets left! Animals just not interested in it. Put in some crystallix to sheep and deer for comparison, straight in. Blocks have a use within 12 months of manufacture. Manufactured in august 2020.
Any suggestions what to do with the leftovers? Was going to contact manufacturer and see if they would take them back for re-processing, at least I might get something back from them.
We’re hill farming in Scotland with a black face/swale cross flock outwintered on the hill. A hard winter for them, where you would think they would take anything they could get.
(BTW the guy who suggested them also has a similar amount sitting in the yard. obviously we will be trying something else next year.)

if you put out minerals and they are not taken it means they are not deficient the mollased blocks are sweet and they will eat them like kids eating sweets

 

[Wisconsonian]

Keep giving it to them, the minerals aren't going anywhere, I don't see how a mineral block expires? If it was dry hay, the vitamin A would disappear over time, so I'd assume the same for A in a block, and possibly any other vitamins also. But the Ca, P and micronutrients should be there for years. Iodine also dissipates, so that may be the cause of the expiration.

2 pallets sounds like a lot of mineral block. How much do you figure they consumed per head per day? that's the only way to figure if they were eating a typical amount or not. Also need to know the percentages, or the suggested intake from the maker.

Here, sheep would be given loose salt and mineral. Blocks are for cattle.

 

[neilo]

if you put out minerals and they are not taken it means they are not deficient the mollased blocks are sweet and they will eat them like kids eating sweets

Not really true. If you put minerals and they get taken it just means the stock like the salty taste of them, nothing to do with TE deficiencies. The self prescribing tale is a mineral salesman’s ploy.

I agree that molassed sweeties are a different product for a different job though.

 

[hendrebc]

Use them they'll be fine. Just buy less next time.

 

[Mc115reed]

Your describing 2 different products which is why youv had 2 different intakes.... 1 is classed as a feed block the other a mineral block... mineral blocks can take a long time too get through especially if the sheep have no deficiencies where as feed blocks generally don’t last more than a few days...

I’d be questioning why your using the blocks before you go any further.... what result your trying too achieve? ...

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

How many sheep have you got if you think you need 2 1/4 pallets to see them through the winter?
Lesson learned I hope, don't buy in bulk until you've tried a couple and make your own decisions not what somebody else tells you. Your farm and stock are different to everyone else's. If the sheep won't take them smash them up and spread them on the land or mix them in the muck heap

 

[Highland Mule]

Stick them in your local collective or on Gumtree in groups of half a dozen buckets - you'll probably make a profit.

 

[bazza3034]

It s agood sign your sheep aren't low in minerals don't panic

 

[Y Fan Wen]

For comparison I use about 40 15kg blocks of what is really fortified rock salt on 250 ewes annually.
My land is reputed to be cobalt deficient so I provide them in the hope that it will be corrected.
Also, most people and animals like a bit of salt in their diet.
Don't ask me if it is cost efficient tho'!
As for the use by date, ignore it!

 

[Paddington]

We use Rockies blocks for Selenium, lovely smell of vanilla when the wrapper comes off, I'm sure the sheep think they are licking giant choc ices as they wolf them down.

 

[Nithsdale]

The first question is how many ewes are we talking? You bought 90, 25kg buckets - or 125, 20kg blocks... that is a massive amount!
Secondly what did you actually buy?

There's nothing wrong with Lachlan McGregor - part of Dennis Brinicombe group. Had a friend as a rep several years ago so used their buckets for a few years and was happy with them (he moved on - when DB took them over - but they made no attempt to continue selling to us).


Use the remainder this winter, they will be fine.

 

[Nithsdale]

The self prescribing tale is a mineral salesman’s ploy.

This flies in the face of your self prescribing cocci buckets doesn't it

 

[neilo]

This flies in the face of your self prescribing cocci buckets doesn't it

Not at all. Intakes of those is driven by the salt, not a need for minerals.
As it was once explained to me..... As soon as the lambs receive a bit of a cocci challenge they start to become dehydrated, making them crave salt. Attracted to the salt in the buckets, they receive a high dose of Deccox, clearing out the cocci rapidly.
Incidentally, I have tried competitor products in the past, all having a much lower Deccox inclusion rate. Lambs were attracted to the buckets ok, but the lower dose meant the cocci weren’t controlled.

 

[PhilipB]

Hi, we tried a mineral block last winter that the sheep, or deer, just didn’t take to. We’re newbie farmers, but getting some advice from an experienced man who works for a family member. Were recommended a Lachlan Macgregor product and bought 2 1/4 pallets to see them through the winter. Got 1 1/3 pallets left! Animals just not interested in it. Put in some crystallix to sheep and deer for comparison, straight in. Blocks have a use within 12 months of manufacture. Manufactured in august 2020.
Any suggestions what to do with the leftovers? Was going to contact manufacturer and see if they would take them back for re-processing, at least I might get something back from them.
We’re hill farming in Scotland with a black face/swale cross flock outwintered on the hill. A hard winter for them, where you would think they would take anything they could get.
(BTW the guy who suggested them also has a similar amount sitting in the yard. obviously we will be trying something else next year.)

As everyone else has said.

We use the cobalt rockies in lambing pens and it takes 50ewes per pen about two years to get through a rockie.

The "use by" date simply means they don't guarantee the mineral content after that point (probably because they haven't bothered to keep one hanging around for longer to test, after all, why would they?)

 

[neilo]

I wouldn't expect the mineral levels to change much when they go past their expiry date, but the vitamin levels would slowly decline.

Not sure if RT allow anyone to use any product past it's expiry date though.....