Alright so I know this has been talked about before and I did search it and also read about it in the other 2 mineral topics but I kinda want to focus on it and the ones using it. In your guys honest opinion does the stuff really work and is it really neccesary to put yours in the winners circle? Anyone used it and not liked it? With the hsc adding that to the minerals already in it is that too much? Any info you guys could give me would be great, and I have already went to their website and looked there too but I want what you guys think. Also I'm wondering on this for steers if that makes a difference?
vitaferm
- Thread starter big w
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Cowboy
Well-known member
It is the Ama-fern in these products that make the cale, all cattle, pop and do well. Without that special ingredient, yourt mineral is just that - mineral.
Vita-Ferm has always been my choice for great nutrition. I feed it to all my own stock, but especially to the donors here. It is very apparent tome when we get new donors in that they are not on the same level -- watch and learn. When they come off the trailer, all most every single time they will make a trip around the pen and as they pass the mineral feeder that is where they stop -- for hours!
With your steer projects, Vits-Charge is a great top dress -- it has the Ama-Ferm in it as well, but also many other high level stress conditioners too. High fat -- excellent product for all feeding livestock.
I am just a lifelong believer in these different formulations, it has always worked very well for my deal here. Hope that helps settle your mind, you can buy cheaper, but I always feel you get only what you pay for!
Terry
Vita-Ferm has always been my choice for great nutrition. I feed it to all my own stock, but especially to the donors here. It is very apparent tome when we get new donors in that they are not on the same level -- watch and learn. When they come off the trailer, all most every single time they will make a trip around the pen and as they pass the mineral feeder that is where they stop -- for hours!
With your steer projects, Vits-Charge is a great top dress -- it has the Ama-Ferm in it as well, but also many other high level stress conditioners too. High fat -- excellent product for all feeding livestock.
I am just a lifelong believer in these different formulations, it has always worked very well for my deal here. Hope that helps settle your mind, you can buy cheaper, but I always feel you get only what you pay for!
Terry
I have not been that impressed with the product. We run crossbred cows with a few shorthorns, they have been on vita-firm free choice mineral for about 2 years now and have not seen much of a change. The cows really don't seem to like it. Conception rates have plummeted in the last two years (especially this year). Now I am not saying that the vita-firm is the cause but I am saying that it couldn't have helped that much. I have been talking to a dealer that sells Thorvin Kelp with Redman Salt and other ingredients. We are going to try this next year.
Cowboy
Well-known member
I might add this bit of info -- depending on which formulation you left out there with your cows year round, there are periods of gestation etc that they will need and WANT different things. If you left Concept-Aid out year round, your cows ate it really hard just before calving and soon after, but as soon as your cows were bred, bang -- they won't touch it. You need to switch over to Cow Calf 5 or Roughage fortifier during the later summer and into fall - winter.
Remember this, these cows are smart in terms of needs, they will go after what they know they need most of the time, and leave alone the stuff they do not. Change up your rotation and you will see what I mean. I will offer them both forms in the spring, and see this -- if they are open and cycling, they will consume alot of the Concept-Aid -- but as soon as they are bred, they go straight to the CC 5 and then hardly touch the other. Watch em, you'll see.
I believe in these products so much, that it is all I Have fed for going on 30 years. No I am not a salesman, just a believer. Again, you get what you pay for, I use the best I can find and it proves to me every year it is the best. Simple as that.
Good luck,
Terry
Remember this, these cows are smart in terms of needs, they will go after what they know they need most of the time, and leave alone the stuff they do not. Change up your rotation and you will see what I mean. I will offer them both forms in the spring, and see this -- if they are open and cycling, they will consume alot of the Concept-Aid -- but as soon as they are bred, they go straight to the CC 5 and then hardly touch the other. Watch em, you'll see.
I believe in these products so much, that it is all I Have fed for going on 30 years. No I am not a salesman, just a believer. Again, you get what you pay for, I use the best I can find and it proves to me every year it is the best. Simple as that.
Good luck,
Terry
sizzler14
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2012
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- 868
how many days pre-breeding should you feed vita-ferm and how much at a time?
savaged
Well-known member
Cowboy said:
That interesting Terry, because I have done just that the past two years - fed free choice Concept Aide year-round. I also offer free choice basic trace salt and I have wondered why at times they consume one over the other like crazy. When I thought about it you are spot-on - they go after the Concept Aide in the time prior to breeding and just before calving. I have a majority due in March and they are pounding it hard right now. In summer (when they are bred) they will eat the trace salt and sometime go for weeks and seemingly not touch the Concept Aide. I'm going to offer CC5 going forward with the salt this summer.
By the way I have had excellent conception rates with this mineral program - but I'm not naive enough to think that mineral feeding is a singular factor. Getting cows bred is a recipe that is very dependent on all the ingredients and steps being done correctly and carefully. I often observe folks being very nonchalant about knowing when a cow began to show heat and then stand - if they even know she stood for sure, and then want to know what mineral might "make the difference." The answer often in those cases is none.
librarian
Well-known member
This is not specific to vita-ferm, but if Cowboy is answering questions...
Our soil is selenium deficient and white muscle disease can be a problem.
Standard is to give 5 cc BoSe at birth.
I have been told that sheep mineral has more ppm selenium than cattle mineral and mixing them together works. I tried this and the cows increased their mineral intake.
What is a safe ratio? I just guessed at 1:5, but am uncomfortable about it.
Our soil is selenium deficient and white muscle disease can be a problem.
Standard is to give 5 cc BoSe at birth.
I have been told that sheep mineral has more ppm selenium than cattle mineral and mixing them together works. I tried this and the cows increased their mineral intake.
What is a safe ratio? I just guessed at 1:5, but am uncomfortable about it.
firesweepranch
Well-known member
We switched to Vitaferm Conceptaid a little more than a year ago. We have noticed a huge difference in our conceptions, but we do not use a bull. We AI or put embryos in. If a cow does not take by the third cycle, we find a bull and get her bred and sell her.
There are a lot of factors that go into conception, but the mineral program is important enough not to skimp on. This fall, we put in 7 embryos, all stuck. We AId 10 head, all but one stuck, and that one belongs to our pastor and she has only been at our place, on concept aide, for about 70 days now. We AId her a third time, she is due to cycle the end of this week so we shall see if she stuck.
It must be fed with loose white salt. We put the loose salt on one end of the mineral feeder, and the conceptaide on the other end. We are getting ready to switch to the high mag/IGR fomula. It works.
There are a lot of factors that go into conception, but the mineral program is important enough not to skimp on. This fall, we put in 7 embryos, all stuck. We AId 10 head, all but one stuck, and that one belongs to our pastor and she has only been at our place, on concept aide, for about 70 days now. We AId her a third time, she is due to cycle the end of this week so we shall see if she stuck.
It must be fed with loose white salt. We put the loose salt on one end of the mineral feeder, and the conceptaide on the other end. We are getting ready to switch to the high mag/IGR fomula. It works.
Doc
Well-known member
One other thing I have noticed with the cows on Concept aid , is how quick they will shed the afterbirth when they calve.
firesweepranch
Well-known member
Doc said:
And how quick they return to heat...
SlickTxMaine
Well-known member
big w said:
Are you asking about Sure Champ or Vitafirm products in general? We have been feeding SureChamp to our show steers and heifers for several years now and love it. We are in South Central Tx. and start feeding steers in April, just when Texas is heating up. We have not had a calf go off feed since we started using it. Prior to feeding SureChamp, we would struggle to keep the calves eating as much as they needed to in the summer heat. The calves just look healthier in my opinion. I wouldn't go a show season without it.
Vitaferm is an organization in which you can get different types of animal products. You can provide it to your animals and superiorpapers them to gain health and body of all.
mark tenenbaum
Well-known member
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