In most parts of Alberta, beef cattle need to be supplemented with salt and other trace minerals to maintain excellent health. Better reproduction performance, overall weight gain, and improved general health is found when their diet is enhanced with trace minerals.
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| Cattle out west on grass for the summer. |
Pass that salt shaker, sister.
Hauling salt out west is happiness like a summer day for me. It means time away without a phone, scratches house work off the list, and allows me to strengthen my innards with some of the beauty around me. It's a boost, ladies.
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| The salt boxes get pretty beat up by moose & elk. Wild horses and all sorts of creatures can be spotted with their tongues hanging out. |
When you hear folks wanting to put a negative spin on things with "know your farmers" you just holler out an amen and keep in mind that optimum health in beef cattle is a slam dunk situation for everyone. Producers and momma's serving up supper included.
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| I think ol' white face up in the front looks hilarious, camera caught, flapping her tail around. Remember, hilarity is in the eye of the beholder. (A note from the management of this here blog house---let's be sure, that this comment wasn't about cruelty to animals, but just why would we haul salt to our cows? They would never do such a thing in their part of the world! Then some small comments about our food being so salty. Egadzooks!) |
15 comments:
Hmmm, how could anyone have a negatory comment about giving cattle salt? The only thing I could think of is if they say that wildlife becomes dependant upon it- but what the hay- it's still a benefit!
On a billboard here in Creston- "Like to eat? Thank a farmer!"
Amen my friend. I grow so tired of those who are out to bash the farmers . An animal rights activist in my extended family was holding forth about "cruelty free" and how barbaric farmers are. I simply asked if she was sitting on her leather couch while talking with me...
Obviously whoever left the comment doesnt know anything about raising cattle. And anything to get away from housework is a great job :)
I adore cows but I used to adore them even more. I used to lick their salt blocks and kiss them between the eyes.
Love your writing style, by the way. I bopped over here from Prairie Girl's blog.
I'm wondering the same thing? We provide salt licks for our horses too...
We've got to have salt and mineral out for our cattle and sheep too. Cruelty to animals? I think we take care of our livestock better than we take care of ourselves most times.
Happy day amongst the cows and nature!
It provides them with the best that they need, and now and again they need minerals and salt. It's all for their well being, just as we should take our vitamins to help us with the things our body may need that it's not getting from the foods we eat.
All the many miles we've gone hauling feed of some sort to cattle, gotta be one of my favorite things to do, being we just talk and talk about anything and all. :)
It's not exactly peaceful in that pickup full of little boys, but they do tend to take a nap.
Great post and great pictures as always!!!
Love your pictures, and your soap box. I just did a 15 things post, just now, all for you. :-)
It always amazes me when people who know NOTHING about raising cattle try to tell farmers what to do and HOW to do it. We raise cattle in Missouri. Bottom line, the better shape our cattle are in the more money we make. Why on earth would we mistreat our livestock??? Farmers of all people understand how important it is to take care of the land and our animals. Have an awesome day!!!
Your blog makes me smile & have a good day! :) Love it as always- I love cows & someday we are going to have a small herd of calves to bottle feed! ;)
I didn't know that is was bad to give our animals the vitamins and minerals that they need, just like us taking a vitamin for our extra needs.
One of the things I've learned since becoming a ranch wife, is that it's always the people who have never worked with or raised animals that consider our ranching and farming practices cruel. I have to agree with Gumbo Lily when she says that we take care of our livestock better than ourselves.
Its a nice sunny 75* day here. Hope the sun is shining down on you up north!
How strange to think of giving salt to cattle as mistreating them. I'm glad you take such good care of our future food. I love seeing your photos of the foothills grazing lands - so lush and so peaceful. Oh, and I totally noticed that white-faced cows tail straight out and ready to flick.
Hey chey! When on Hunting trips w/ my dad in the Clearwater, we came a cross a natural salt/ mineral lick that the wildlife came to and they literally ate the ground. Pretty cool! I also love taking salt out!! Great posts:).
Your sister from the east country!:).
HUH? giving salt to cows in cruel?
I thought that was a normal part of life for cows!!! I guess I am just a true country bumpkin and didn't realize people thought SALT was cruel!!!
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