Good for you for noticing the difference, BMR. I think you will see the cattle that ate less mineral this summer (for whatever reason~we have that happen here, too) will eat more this winter. Seems like they all wind up consuming about the same amount when figured over a years time. We have customers here that really keep track, and that is what happens to them. The cattle that are in pastures that eat less mineral, eat more when they get them home. Cattle that eat it about right during the summer, don't increase their consumption in the winter. Pretty amazing.
We hear all the time that our customers can visibly SEE the difference in their cattle. If you can see it, imagine what is going on internally! Haircoat is an indication of many things. Now you will see an impovement in the health of your cattle. Even if you don't have a big problem, all the little problems will go away. Cattle are supposed to be healthy. People that have a lot of sickness think that is normal. I have a customer that tells me when he was doing his books that he noticed his mineral column is getting longer, but his feed supplement column and vet column is nearly empty. He's really happy with what the mineral has done for him and his cattle. He says that he is enjoying ranching more than he ever has. He had a lot of sickness that he just does not have any more and that makes ranching a lot more fun! Plus his calves are thriftier and weigh more.
Thanks for the update, BMR!
