Show Dairy Cows Need Choice or Of Phosphorus Dairy cows when given their choice of phosphorus supplements may not choose steamed bone meal Even when mixed with salt bone meal seems to be one of the less palatable phosphorus sources There is some ques question tion whether cows will actu actually ally balance their needs for phosphorus when only bone meal is offered County Agent Ben Lindsay advised this week Free choice feeding of min eral supplements Is recommended mended because individual cows have different needs About 1 to 2 phosphate should be added to the con con- concentrate mix for dairy cows and additional phosphate should be available at all times separate from the salt Since phosphorus becomes less palatable if it Is left In the mineral box more than two weeks only small amounts should be put out as needed Utah researchers at Utah State University checked cows preference for various forms of phosphorus Where several supplements were available free choice the cows consistently consumed larger quantities of phosphate than 21 phosphate phosphate was al so quite palatable while de- de fluorinated phosphate and steamed bone meal proved less palatable In the trials Utilization of phosphorus by the cow is also Important Here again researchers found that phosphate seemed to be digested best followed closely by phosphate and Curacao Island phosphate Sort Soft phate with colloidal clay was poorly utilized i Another factor to In buying a phosphate supple supple- supplement ment is the fluoride content It should not be over 01 Avoid any form of colloidal clays reek phosphates and other supplements that arent aren't Since of n a phosphorus phosphorus supplement may very by by changes in processing from one purchase to the next of the same brand the only s fe guide to palatability ability is the amount of phosphate phate your cows consume it is placed before them Mr Lindsay r said aid |