We recommend a target content of 12.5 % Na in free-choice mineral supplements, corresponding to app. 32 % salt.

Salt is serving two purposes in the free-choice mineral supplementation, namely to provide the animals with sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl), and further to regulate the intake of the mineral supplements. Animals are attracted by the salty taste and will eat the free-choice supplements as long as their metabolic salt balance is low. Otherwise, when the metabolic salt level is in balance or high, the salty taste appears bad, and the animal will stop eating the free.choice supplements. The recommended salt level is therefore crucial for making the mineral feed appetizing, but also for avoiding a luxury intake of the supplements.

Due to the mentioned metabolic mechanism, a lower salt content would mean a higher consumption of the mineral feed supplement and vice versa. The intake of the mineral feed supplement is unpredictable, imprecise, and accidental if the salt content deviates considerably from our recommended level.

It is important that the animals can taste the mineral salts, especially salt (NaCl) since they inconsiously regulate the intake of the mineral feed supplements through their ability to taste the mineral salts.

In accordance with this principle, mineral feeds in the form of pellets (also called granulated mineral feeds) or waterproofed minerals, are NOT suitable for use in mineral feeders:

• Mineral pellets (also called granulated mineral feeds) has a content of 25-50% molasses, wheat bran and alike, which means that the animals cannot taste the minerals, and the salt-based intake regulation is set out of force.
• Similarly, waterproofed minerals, where the mineral particles are coated with a water repellent material, makes it impossible for the animals to taste the mineral salts, setting the intake regulation out of force.

Free-choice mineral supplements should never contain artificial aromas since these blurs the taste of the mineral salts and destroys the self-regulating intake mechanism.

Also, it should be avoided using too dusty mineral feeds since it sticks to the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, whereby it cause irritation and in some cases even will etch the mucous membranes.

The use of molassed minerals is an exception from the abovementioned obligatory principles.

Molassed minerals, typically sold in round or squared buckets, would typically have a low content of minerals (meaning crude ash), and a high share of molasses. The molasses is pure energy, which is normally not needed during, grazing, but its sweetness has the role to make the animals eat the stuff. A special curing of the molassed minerals makes it sufficiently hard, attempting to avoid a single animal from eating the whole bucket of molassed minerals due to its sweetness. Minerals in molassed minerals are relatively expensive, considering their mineral concentration and the kilo price, and no curing is able to accommodate a hardness of the molassed minerals that fits the envisaged intake during both rainy and sunny weather.

MicroFeeder do in general not recommend the use of molassed minerals, among other becasue of the costs. However, we recognise that some herds prefer using molassed minerals in our feeders, especially in BasisFeeder, which provides very good fixation for mineral buckets and protects the molassed minerals from being hard due to sun and wind, or soft due to rain.

"Pitstop Multi" from Vilomix (DK) has a composition that gives an excellent taste (and it has also an excellent flowability).

The taste is very important – the supplements must be like candy for the cows. The good taste can be achieved by a content of 15-20% sweet raw materials like dextrose, dried molasses or other. In addition, artificial aromas can increase the appetizing taste.

The photo shows a label of Pitstop Multi from Vilomix (DK), which has an excellent taste (and an excellent flowability).

It should be kept in mind that cows needs to actively seek the feeders in order to be dosed mineral feeds, and they are expected to come to the feeders 3-4 times per day, every day. Therefore, the sweet taste of the mineral feeds for use in Pitstop^PLUS feeders is so crucial for the success with using precision supplementation.

We have experienced that shift to the use of other mineral feeds of normal good taste (because the special and sweet-tasting Pitstop^PLUS mineral feed temporarily had leaked out) substantially reduced cows visits to the feeders.

"Lever LSC taste" from RumiVar (NL) has a structure that gives it an excellent flowability (and it has also an excellent taste).

Good flowability is a very important factor since the mineral feeds must be able to flow to the dosing aggregates and not build up bridges or form lumps.

The photo shows the structure of "Lever LSC taste" from RumiVar (NL), which has an excellent flowability (and an excellent taste).

Lumps are typically formed in dry feeds due to moist. Moisture is attracted by hygroscopic feed materials. It is difficult to completely avoid the use of hygroscopic feed materials, but the entire composition of the mineral feed must take this into account so that the supplements do not build up bridges, for instance by the use of a certain amount of organic constituents, which can absorb some moisture. Pitstop^PLUS feeders are also designed in such a way that only a marginal air exchange between the feed hopper and the stable is possible, and we also recommend a weekly routine of refilling the feeders with fresh and dry mineral feed, although the capacity of the feeders would allow for more seldom refilling.

"Easy-X Plus VLOG" from Vilofoss (DK) is a product in 4 mm pellets with an excellent taste and good flowability.

It is important that the supplements are on a physical form that avoids the building up of bridges. For the standard configuration of Pitstop^PLUS, it can be in the form of a mixture of mineral salts and other feed materials, where the majority (min. 85%) of the particles are under 1 mm, no particles must be above 2 mm, and mineral feed particles must have geometrical forms that avoids packing, generally meaning that they should have more or less round forms. "Lever LSC taste" on the above photo is of such mineral salt mixture / powder form.

Alternatively, Pitstop^PLUS can be delivered in a configuration that enable the dosing of 4 mm pellets. The photo to the right shows "Easy-X Plus VLOG" from Vilofoss (DK), which is a product in 4 mm pellets with an excellent taste and good flowability.