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Another mineral discussion: Purina vs Vigortone.....

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John SD

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Let me say right up front I've been a loyal Vigortone user for several years. I think Vigortone makes an excellent product. I have fed 3V2S and 3V4S. I like it because the cows like it and seem to perform well on it. The only thing I don't like about it is the price. It seems high, but of course these days what isn't.

Local feed store owner who is also my neighbor is having a "free lunch" deal next week with the regional Purina sales rep on hand. I trust my neighbor to tell me straight what he knows about the products he sells.

Does anyone here have experience feeding Purina Wind and Rain mineral and also if you have experience with Vigortone, how does it compare in your opinion? I know nothing about the Purina product but I am open minded and would consider jumping ship and try Purina at least once, especially if the price is right. I'm a firm believer that competition is good in any business.

I'm out of Vigortone and for the last few weeks I've been limping along picking up a few bags of trace mineralized salt when I'm in town. The cows have been nuts over salt lately and I'm barely keeping up hauling 6 bags home in the car. I am a firm believer in feeding mineral and I need to get the cows back on it. I'm not married to Vigortone and will consider alternatives if they are equal quality.

This same feed store owner also sells Kay-Dee and Vigortone. Purina is relatively new to him. He took over the Vigortone and Purina business from his local competitor who closed his operation. He has had Vigortone for several years because the competitor gave up Vigortone a few years ago when he affiliated with McNess.

TIA for comments. Faster Horses, I now yield the floor to you if you wish to comment! If not, that is fine too! :wink: :D
 
I used Purina mineral for a year or two and liked the way rain would flow right threw it. The wind didn't bother it much either. It seemed to have kind of an oil in it.

Between Purina and Vigortone I'd go with Vigortone. I've heard from a few different nutritionist that the way Purina weatherproofs their mineral prevents cattle from being able to absorb it. I'm not sure if that's a fact or not but it makes me wonder.

I've used about every kind of mineral out there I think. Purina, McNess, Vigortone, Cargil. I been having a custom mix made up by McNess the last few years and I've been happy with it so far.
 
i think the topic of mineral has been beatin' to death for awhile. maybe its just me, but i've had my fill.....that doesn't mean i won't stay tuned into this one :wink:
 
We have used both products. The vigortone we used was called Grass Grazer. I like the Vigortone better. The cows shed off way better and have a better hair coat . As far as price goes, the vigortone is cheaper here.
 
Justin, it sounds like your mineral needs have been met for the time being! :wink:

Faster Horses, I don't see a PM :?:
 
John SD said:
Justin, it sounds like your mineral needs have been met for the time being! :wink:

Faster Horses, I don't see a PM :?:
Click to expand...

:lol2: :nod: mine, yes.....my cows, well that could be a different story :? :???: :wink:
 
Faster Horses, your PM came through. Thank you! I do respect and appreciate your input.

I also appreciate the input others have given concerning their experiences. Also thank you everyone for keeping this thread on-topic and civil. I understand why the last 19 page ordeal met and exceeded Justin's need for mineral discussion! :wink:
 
I've used both and they were about equal except for price. I have a Purina dealer nearby that moves a lot of it so the pricing was slightly cheaper than Vigertone which the local vet sold. The other key was making sure that whatever mineral that was chosen, supplied what was deficient in the area. Not sure about Purina minerals but I do know that Accuration uses fish oil as a limiter. It might be used in the minerals as well.
 
Purina seems to have an increasing presence in this area the last few years. I've never seen the Accuration product personally but have talked to neighbors who have used it. They say it's pretty stinky stuff. :shock:

I can't imagine a mineral with fish oil in it being very palatable. Heck, I can almost eat Vigortone out of the bag myself! :wink: :lol: :D
 
Accuration will really put a shine on a pen of bulls, but it is economically unfeasible to feed it to range cows. Besides, you should see folks trying to get that fishmeal out of a bulk bin when it is zero outside! Nothing more comforting than laying on a cement pad beating the excrement out of a bin with a hammer!

I have a Golden Sun/Purina dealer here in town, and he sells a lot of Wind and Rain. I sell ADM Alliance Nutrition's WeatherMaster mineral. It's a little more pricey, but stands up to rain much better than the Purina product. A year ago when it rained every other day here that made quite a difference.

I may have to see if the local Gelbvieh breeder/crook is still selling Vigortone and buy a bag from him and run my little water experiment and see how it stands up to WeatherMaster. :wink:
 
Even more important than how mineral stands up to weather, is
what it does for the cow. Vigortone has done a lot of research
on mineral and our mineral holds up to weather without anything
extra IN or ON it because of particle size. That particle size is what
makes the mineral easier utilized by the cow--it can be broken down easier...which is the bottom line, really.

Vigortone is a performance mineral Many ranch trials have been done in the past with basically the
same results. Extra gain on the calves, better conception rates
and enhanced herd health. These trials have been conducted on REAL
RANCHES, not in labratories.

That being said, I think ADM is a better product than Purina.
 
loomixguy said:
Accuration will really put a shine on a pen of bulls, but it is economically unfeasible to feed it to range cows. Besides, you should see folks trying to get that fishmeal out of a bulk bin when it is zero outside! Nothing more comforting than laying on a cement pad beating the excrement out of a bin with a hammer!

I have a Golden Sun/Purina dealer here in town, and he sells a lot of Wind and Rain. I sell ADM Alliance Nutrition's WeatherMaster mineral. It's a little more pricey, but stands up to rain much better than the Purina product. A year ago when it rained every other day here that made quite a difference.

I may have to see if the local Gelbvieh breeder/crook is still selling Vigortone and buy a bag from him and run my little water experiment and see how it stands up to WeatherMaster. :wink:
Click to expand...

Accuration really isn't a mineral but rather it's used for heifer or bull calf development. Or even to get bulls back in shape after a heavy breeding season. The fish oil acts as a limiter. I can imagine how tough moving bags of it would be in freezing weather. Down here the problem is keeping the coons out of it.

Back to minerals: Is using a mineral feeder, with a heavy rubber flap over the top, not practical to use up north? Using the covered feeder pretty much eliminates the moisture problem.
 
We just got more VT mineral from our vet.

Question? Does moisture affect the Vigortone mineral? With heavy rain ours sometimes get wet or at least damp. The cows seem to eat it just as well.

Thanks,
Farmgirl
 
No, farmgirl, that's one of the beauties of Vigortone.
It can get wet, but due to particle size, won't adhere together
and get hard. The most you should have to do is break the top
up if it gets a crust on it from the moisture. The cows will go
right back to it. Nothing in there to sour the mineral.

Good question. Thanks.
 
Well after looking at faster horses heifers and a couple hundred pairs at a customers delivering mineral about the only problem I see with vigertone is having to pay income tax.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Well after looking at faster horses heifers and a couple hundred pairs at a customers delivering mineral about the only problem I see with vigertone is having to pay income tax.
Click to expand...
Who the salesman/woman or the rancher?? :wink: :lol: :lol:
 
Probably both-saw some good loking calves at a customers on some dried out grass-the only thing they needed was baldie calves running beside them lol.
 

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