Ranger Minerals

Through field research, university research, a large database of grass and feed samples, and accounting for extreme conditions; a precise level of supplementation can be calculated for each stage of beef production to save you money.

Phosphorus (P) Levels of Grass Compared to Lactating/Gestating Cows & Calf Requirements

*Phosphorus of the grass plus a 6% P mineral fed at 4 oz/day from May to July and a 3% P mineral fed at 4 oz/day from August to October. Dr. Jim Russell and Mathew Haan; Iowa State University.

Researchers at Iowa State University reported P content of grass from May through October met requirements of lactating cows in many cases, and minimal supplemental P is needed. Calves gaining 2.0 pounds per day did not need any supplemental P (see graph above). They also noted that cows selected forages 25% higher in P than manually clipped grass samples (see chart below).

Comparison of Phosphorus Concentrations of Available & Selected Forage in Rotationally Stocked Cool Season Grass Pastures

PHOSPHORUS %

**Available Forage = hand clipped to approximately 2 cm above ground level, Selected Forage = collected from a ruminally cannulated steer following a two hour grazing period.

Mineral is more expensive, so higher digestibility means you get return for your money. The swine and poultry industries fine grind corn to improve its digestibility. The beef industry doesn’t use fine ground corn because it is digested too rapidly and causes digestive upsets. It only makes sense to feed a mineral that is a finer particle and not coarse rocks. The graph below shows a coarse mineral of a major competitor compared with our finer ground mineral with added oil. The finer ground mineral raised the pH of the acid much faster and higher than the coarse mineral resulting in improved digestibility.

pH of an Acid & Mineral Solution Over Time to Compare Digestibility of Minerals with Different Particle Sizes