Field mineral licks - who uses what?

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Patterdale

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Purchased a Horslyx tub at great expense 6 days ago, and 3 horses have now scoffed the whole thing!!
As I don't want to spend upwards of £80 on licks every month, what do other people use? Horslyx seems to be a bit too tasty!
 
I have used the dengie field lick before between 2 horses - that lasted approx a week from memory and a Rockie mineral lick which is hanging in my field shelter but that has not really touched for about 4/5 months, obviously that is boring.

I would be interested to see what other people use as was thinking the other day of getting another Dengie lick but would be interesed in what else is out there ..
 
The healthiest and most economical option Ive found is to use a yellow Rockies sheep salt and mineral lick (they come in pack of 2, 10kg each and you can get a spiked holder for them. They are the same makeup as the smaller ones made for horses but massively cheaper per kg and also last a long time.

There is also a blue high magnesium version which is useful for lami types.

Do not get the red one tho, that is suitable only for cattle and NOT for horses sheep or goats due to the copper levels in it.

Any agric store will be able to supply the Rockies sheep blocks.
 
none of my horses would touch the rockies ones... they just sat there and did nothing until i decided to chuck it :o bought a dengie stable lick for them and it lasted about 2 and a half weeks with 2 of them they liked that so i got them ones for their stables too :) the dengie field lick (round one not in a tub) lasted less than a day with just one of them so we didnt buy that one again!
 
Red Rockies are fine for horses but musn't be used anywhere where sheep can get to them. I've used them together with rock salt for years. Would never feed a mollased mineral lick.
 
They will scoff the first, even possibly the second, but should ease back once they have got used to it always being there and becoming very 'every day' boring. Personally, I use the Himalayan Salt Licks, the only one that every equine has used and lasts well even when wet. No molasses either
 
The badminton/baileys feed block is really good, I've found they preferred eating the fencing to the Rockies type licks. The first one went quickly but they have soon slowed down. One lasts a field of 4 3-4 weeks one they calm down over it. Faster in summer as its softer!
 
Milkmaid said:
Red Rockies are fine for horses but musn't be used anywhere where sheep can get to them. I've used them together with rock salt for years. Would never feed a mollased mineral lick.
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I think the essential thing is to get your soil tested. Or at least ask a near neighbour who may have had a soil test done (they are quite expensive).

My soil is deficient in copper and cobalt, as is the whole area, so I use Red Rockies for everything. Lambs have to be individually dosed and if one manages to spit the bolus out, they will die if I fail to notice the symptomatic reddish tinge to their wool!

The manufacturers of mineral licks make more money the more they sell (what a surprise!), so some are formulated to be super attractive to stock. I don't think they can actually over dose as the kidneys will filter out what is not needed, but they will literally be pissing away your money!:eek:
 
Snowflakedale said:
Purchased a Horslyx tub at great expense 6 days ago, and 3 horses have now scoffed the whole thing!!
As I don't want to spend upwards of £80 on licks every month, what do other people use? Horslyx seems to be a bit too tasty!
Click to expand...

Yes I did this too bought the tub and in one day the lot gone for a good doer! Clean as a whistle. Thereafter I just got a plain salt brick or you can get mineral ones they are about £2. You can even invest on a plastic holder (another £2) or if you want to just throw it in the field on the floor(it may get trampled but perhaps get a couple) and they use to last about 3 weeks. Much cheaper. If you can put a Himylayan salt on a rope hang it somewhere.

You are not the first or the last to experience this.
 
My two have had red rockies, the 10kg blocks, since they came home (now 18 months old). As they are out 24/7 and the block does dissolve in the Scottish winter, I made holders for them out of large plant pots or old supplement tubs, just two holes either side, thread a piece of plastic pipe through and then string through that to hang up. They love them, and very cheap (£8 or so for 2 at agricultural store). I got a garlic one in the summer which also went down well, cost about £5 I think and lasted about 6 months.
 
Oh blimey don't make the same mistake I made with this. Purchased a "pasture lick" think it was by D&H from memory. Sent ALL the horses totally beserk. There was NO reasoning with them. Like kids on a sugar rush the whole lot of them.

I'd bought it thinking it was a good all round mineral type lick but upon closer examination hidden on their website I discovered it had some kind of molasses in it and I reckon that's what caused the problem. It was by far the worst 20 quid ish I have spent on anything for the horses. I had a skewbald mare on loan at the time and she had a pink nose within hours of putting this lick into the field with them she was plastered all over her nose and muzzle area in what looked like treacle. Took ages to get off. Never, ever again!
 
Very interesting reading!
Particularly about them being all sugar - the one I ride HAS been a bit loopy but I didn't make a connection!

I'm definitely not buying Horslyx again. Ill look into those Rockies ones.
When I was younger you could buy them in all tack shops, like beigey pink bricks? But I'm not sure what's in them.
 
Had a good example of how they only take it when they need it recently. My NF never touches his (has a fully balanced diet) but when he was ill with a virus which caused severe anaemia a few weeks back he was wellying into it, grating the Red Rocky with his teeth to get more! Now he is feeling better he has gone back to ignoring it.
My cob who only has soaked for 24hrs hay & what grass there is (no goodness in it as old & stalky) uses his all the time.
 
Mine just get the Hilton Herbs himalayan salt one - its what my local shop sells - I know by the colour its not full of sugar/molglo etc and theyre mineral balanced so I dont need one with added magnesium.

If we weren't mineral balanced Simple Systems do one in a trug with extra magnesium :)
 
My mare never interested in the rockies one until we moved yards. We were at the old yard for 5 years.

Now she is loving the red one.

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