Physical Description:
Many farmers use trace element and mineral supplements for their animals, and because every farm is different, the trace element and mineral requirements are different for every farm. Although there are dozens of different products available on the market, each of these is a set mixture of a range of certain trace elements and/or minerals.
Ravensdown's Custom Blending Mineral Mix service provide farmers with the opportunity to select which trace elements, minerals, vitamins and other additives they require, in what form and quantity, and then Ravensdown will custom blend these and deliver it to the farm (within 7-10 working days) in a powdered form, with the cost of delivery included in the price. Options include:
- Powdered product packed into into lined 25kg polypropylene bags.
- Powdered product packed into smaller packs inside a 25kg polypropylene bag. These smaller packs ("day packs") can be packaged according to weight (eg 1kg or 2kg) or designed to supplement a certain number of animals with one day's product.
Ravensdown also offers a custom blending service for mixing various minerals into Ravensdown PKE and Dairy Hi Carb feed products prior to despatch. Please contact the Customer Centre to discuss this option.
Batch Sizes:
- Half tonne
- 1 tonne (or multiples of 1 tonne)
Ordering process: Because each Custom Blend is individually tailored for each farm, the ingredients in the blend must be worked through with one of the Ravensdown Animal Health team using a special spreadsheet calculator.
Potentially any minerals, vitamins or other additives can be included (the following are only an example):
Trace Elements
- Copper - inorganic (eg sulphate) and/or organic (chelated) forms
- Cobalt - inorganic (eg sulphate) and/or organic (chelated) forms
- Selenium - inorganic (eg sodium selenate) or organic forms
- Iodine - inorganic (eg iodide/iodate) and/or organic (eg EDDI) forms
- Zinc - inorganic (eg sulphate/oxide) and/or organic (chelated) forms
Macro-minerals
- Magnesium - various forms
- Calcium - various forms
- Sodium - various forms
- Bentonite
Vitamins
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
Other additives
- Rumensin
- Mycotoxin binders
Uses:
There will be two main types of custom blends:
- Water soluble powders - these can be administered through an in-line water dispenser, via daily drenching (dairy cows) or addition to supplementary feed.
- Non-soluble powders - these can be administered via supplementary feed or could be pasture dusted.
In addition Ravensdown offers a custom blending service for mixing various minerals into Ravensdown PKE and Dairy Hi Carb feed products prior to despatch. Please contact the Customer Centre to discuss this option.
Benefits:
Custom blending allows a farmer to buy exactly what minerals or trace elements they need in the correct ratios. The Ravensdown Animal Health team can work with farmers to determine their requirements, or farmers can tell Ravensdown what minerals they would like.
Special "Day Packs" remove the necessity to weigh product before use - simply use one pack for the whole herd per day.
Application:
The application rate will depend on the individual mix.
Do not administer copper-containing mixes to animals at the same time as using high doses of zinc for facial eczema prevention (North Island only), as copper supplementation may interfere with the protective effects of zinc.
Meat and milk withholding periods: Depending on the ingredients, but generally NIL.
Storage & Handling:
Store in a cool, dry covered facility, and ensure that the bag is closed properly after use. It is important to keep bags dry to prevent absorption of water by the product. Dust masks and eye protection are recommended when handling product if excessive dust is present.
Source:
These products are custom blended in NZ from imported and locally-sourced ingredients.
For Further Information:
Animal Health and Nutrition Brochure
- Please contact one of the Animal Health team
- Pricing will be individually calculated according to the blend required
Please note this service is only available for 1/2 tonne or 1 tonne batches. The product is delivered direct to farm from the manufacturer's warehouse and the cost of delivery is included in the price.