Don't stagger into spring, review your magnesium

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Magnesium cannot be stored in the body by ruminants; therefore, it is important to ensure that your animals’ daily requirements are met to avoid grass staggers or lower performance.

Spring grass is typically low in magnesium and high in potassium and these two elements spell double trouble for magnesium availability.

Clinical signs are just the tip of the iceberg, so to ensure your stock and their productivity are protected we provide a range of practical and cost-effective options for you.

Magnesium Requirements

The values for magnesium needs are given as guidance only as total daily requirements from all feed sources. It is advisable to have your ration reviewed by one of our nutritionists.

Spring grass magnesium can be well below these levels and a quarter of silage samples tested by ForFarmers are below 0.15% of the dry matter. Therefore, supplementation is advised, especially where conditions are wet and/or potassium levels are high.

Magnesium requirement

ForFarmers Nutritional Solutions

We have a range of magnesium products to suit various animals and stages of life. For more information about our products please contact your local account manager.

Ewbol Range Compound Feed

Our range of sheep feed has been formulated to supply 5-6g of magnesium when fed at recommended rates in late pregnancy and early lactation. Once compound feeding ends, follow on with High Mag buckets.

Minline High Mag Sheep

  • Highly palatable, 20% magnesium.
  • At intakes of 30g/head/day supplies 6g of magnesium.
  • Contains wide range of minerals and vitamins.
  • Ideal for lactating and non-lactating ewes.
  • 1 bucket will last 20-25 sheep one month.

Minline High Mag Cattle

  • 20% magnesium to help reduce the risk of deficiency at grass.
  • Contains a wide range of minerals and vitamins.
  • Suitable for growing cattle, bulling heifers and suckler cows.
  • Recommended feed rate 125g/head/day.

Minline Grazer Mineral

  • Bagged mineral available as in-feed or loose lick options.
  • Contains 20% magnesium.
  • Typical feed rate of 100g/head/day supplies 20g of magnesium.
  • Wide range of minerals and vitamins to support the grazing animal.
  • Not suitable for sheep.

Calcined Magnesite (CalMag)

  • Contains 52% magnesium.
  • Feed at 50-60g/head/day for cattle to supply 25-30g magnesium.
  • Feed at up to 10g/head/day to sheep to supply 5g magnesium.
  • Comes in 25kg bags. One bag will last 14 cattle or 80 ewes one month.

Magnesium Chloride Flakes

  • Contains 12% magnesium.
  • Add to PMR/TMR as required. Typically, 180g/head/day to supply 21g of magnesium.
  • Add to water at 250g/100 litres.
  • Comes in 25kg bags. One bag will last 4 cattle one month.

Minline Mag Phos Bucket

  • High levels of phosphorous to aid fertility and ensure calcium metabolism is optimal with calves at foot
  • 10% magnesium to help reduce the risk of deficiency at grass
  • Contains a wide range of minerals and vitamins
  • Suitable for growing cattle, bulling heifers and suckler cows
  • Recommended feed rate 125g/head/day

Super Mag Rolls

A specialist suckler cow roll (14mm) formulated to promote milk production and improve fertility.

  • Fed at 2kg/head/day, supplies 48g which adequately covers pre and post-calving requirements.
  • Supports lactation, reducing body condition loss.
  • 15% protein balanced for rumen and bypass protein.
  • Includes mineral and vitamin health pack.
  • Rolls enable ground feeding as well as in-trough.
  • Can be fed at 3kg/head/day where high potassium is known.
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