Tips for Using EnergiLass® With Your Cow Herd

Life on the farm or ranch is always running in high gear. Regardless of the time of year, the task list is invariably long. Our busy lives have us looking for conveniences to make operations run a little smoother. Your supplement program should fit that goal as well. EnergiLass® offers self-fed protein and/or mineral blocks to make supplementing your cattle easy. Here are 5 tips to help make your supplement program work for you.

1. Not all blocks are created equal
While a number of blocks will provide protein to cattle, they are not all the same. EnergiLass is a cooked/dehydrated molasses-based product. Beet molasses is cooked to evaporate the water and is then blended with additional ingredients to meet the guarantees on the tag. This manufacturing process results in a hard block, with no chemical hardeners and consistent intakes. As for costs, where other cattle tubs have a 1, 2 or even 3 lb/head/day intake, EnergiLass has an average intake of 0.75 lb/head/day rate, making it the most cost effective choice for supplementing protein.

2. Select the right block for the right time
EnergiLass offers a wide variety of blocks that can fit into any grazing or management scenario. The key to getting the most from the block is to select one that complements the current situation. For example, in January, cows are on dormant pastures, stock piled forage or stored forage. All are great options for the time of the year, but sometimes the quality can be low. Adding an EnergiLass protein block can help your cows get more from the forage they consume.
Calving season starting in the next 30 days? Offer an EnergiLass Breeder Aide® block to the herd pre-calving through breeding. The additional protein, trace minerals and vitamins will give your cows a nutritional boost to maintain a yearly calving schedule.

3. Ensure you have the right number of blocks
It’s important to have the right of blocks available to allow all animals in the herd access. Per the feeding directions, producers should provide 1 block for every 20 to 30 head. This ensures every animal can get access to the supplement. The number of blocks available can help influence average consumption. Remember: Increase the number of containers to reduce consumption, remove containers to increase consumption.

4. Consider where the blocks are placed
Proper consumption is all about location, location, location. When on pasture, containers should be placed near the water source, mineral feeders or where cattle tend to loaf. Moving the containers closer to these areas can help increase consumption, further away can help decrease consumption. When in dry lot, containers should be placed in the bunk or along a fence line. Monitor consumption when in a confined situation to ensure cattle aren’t overeating.

5. Don’t forget the salt
Did you know that the majority of low moisture blocks do not have added salt? There is only one EnergiLass block with added salt, Rumen Booster. All other EnergiLass blocks need to be fed alongside a source of free choice salt. You can offer plain white salt or you can up your herd’s nutrition with a Framework 365 Mineral®.