Helfter mineral program

I really did not want to invest in this mineral program from Advanced Biological Concepts https://www.abcplus.biz/Grassfed_Dairy_12Stones_Minerals.

It’s pricier than I wanted to spend, so I did a couple months of homework and reading trying to figure out a way I could do the same sort of thing in a more affordable way by pieceing other supplements and minerals together.  I just couldn’t find a solution that was quite as complete and well rounded.  With this being our first year with dairy cattle, I wanted to know I had done everything I could to be proactive in preventing issues during the spring grass green-up, during the pregnancies, drying off, during calving, post-calving, etc.  I don’t like emergency vet calls, and I figured this program is probably comparable in price to a vet visit and could potentially help avoid a multitude of issues.

So here we are.  Now I have proof that my husband loves me.  He doesn’t even like cows!  Thankfully he likes fresh milk and steak, and he loves me (obviously).  So he spent a weekend with our #2 son building this mineral feeder to avoid buying the more expensive feeder sold at ABC.  Turns out the materials for this cost almost as much as buying their feeder, but I must say, I like ours better; it’s up off the ground, more easily accessible, and still protected from the weather (and made with love).  Both the cows and the steer dove right in within minutes of us exiting the pasture.  By the end of day 1, they had almost emptied the boxes with the A mix, C mix, BVC mix, and GRP.  The A mix is vitamins A, D, and E and should help with pink eye (which they have had in the past).  The C mix has calcium to help with milk production and mastitis, and milk fever (which Ruth has had at her previous home).  The BVC mix includes B complex vitamins + kelp, which I keep reading is an essential supplement.  GRP is designed to help tie up glyphosates if you’re feeding grain with GMO’s in it (which I am, since I haven’t found a non-GMO source yet).  I don’t feed a lot of grain, just enough to get the girls into the stanchion (the steer is primarily hay/grass fed), but those glyphosates could still be interfering with mineral absorption, so I’m covered while I keep looking for a grain source.

I’m so happy to have this program in place, though I was initially reluctant.  I would love to hear from others that have used these separate minerals and what your experience was.  

A closer look at what the actual feeder looks like and holds, neatly labeled by my sweet husband.