# Lick Tubs



## Mark T (Jan 7, 2003)

I have had cows for eight years now and have always fed only pasture and hay during the winter. The cows don't get any grain at all.

I have a new field of thirty-odd acres this year and my cows couldn't keep up with the grass. I subdivided, hayed some, and stockpiled grass (nothing special - just native grass) on about ten acres. The extension agent came out in November and said that it should feed my cows through February (I have six).

A neighbor of mine said I should put out a lick tub to help the cows to digest the winter grass.

I googled lick tubs and there seems to be a great division of opinion - some say they improve condition but others say they are a waste of money. Has anyone here used lick tubs, and if so, what are your opinions?


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

check out this thread on here..yes they need something but tubs are expense


http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=378301


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## TamBerk (Aug 17, 2010)

I used lick tubs once and the cows finished it off in a matter of days and they are expensive. As long as they have a trace mineral block to lick they should be fine.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

My cows never had any problems digesting winter pasture and I'm going to bet that it gets a lot colder here than what you've got for weather.

However, I always feed a handful of grain and a couple pounds of alfalfa every evening to keep the cows tame and coming when I whistle them up. It's worth a tiny bit of good feed to keep the cows easy to work with.

When it is below zero, they can use the extra calories and phosphorus in the grain and the alfalfa gives them protein and some calcium. It's a lot cheaper than a lick tub and it gets them inspected for any problems every evening.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

We buy a lick tub for our longhorn steer...he takes his horns and turns it over....so we have to go turn it back up....for just our one longhorn, it lasts a couple months...he usually won't really go after it until the grass is up.......he also has a mineral block...and a round bale of hay...and gets a biscuit every morning or a couple slices of bread..LOL..yes, he is spoiled...it costs around $60 here for 1 tub.....200 pounds .....


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

A couple pounds of good leafy alfalfa is the cheapest protein supplement that I can find.


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