In the wild, salt for animals is not only a treat, but also a vital product that makes up for the deficiency of macro- and micronutrients in the body. Mineral hunger forces birds and animals to make many kilometers of transitions in search of its sources.
The use of salt in livestock
Having tamed animals, people deprived them of the opportunity to take care of themselves, therefore livestock specialists and veterinarians, as a rule, are very attentive to the chemical composition of the diet for livestock. The animal’s body is capable of self-regulation, and all that is needed is to give it full nutrition, including a sufficient number of macro- and microelements to maintain biological balance. However, even the best feeds on their own cannot provide the vital level of minerals, therefore, to maintain bio-balance, the animals are additionally given lick salt. The presence in the diet of an animal of this mineral must strictly correspond to a certain dosage.
Release form and composition of the lick
In fact, a lick is a stone in the form of a block, cut from natural rock salt, or a rectangular briquette, for the production of which edible table salt is used. The mass of the product can be substantial and reach 35 kg. Briquettes of small weight, with multidirectional action, are more convenient for feeding farm animals and are in great demand.
The lick may consist of one table salt or have vitamin and mineral supplements, such as Limisol-Mustang for horses, Limisol-F, Limisol-Iodocalcite, mineral-vitamin salt lick “Zorka”, etc.
Benefits of using
Briquetted lick salt in its density approaches a single crystal, therefore it does not crumble and does not break during transportation, storage and during feeding. It does not crumble and is not trampled by animals, so there is an economic effect from the use of briquettes instead of ordinary salt due to overuse of the latter. In addition to ease of use (lick salt is simply suspended at the right level or placed in a special container), there are other advantages of using such a product, the main one of which is: give animals the opportunity to independently compensate for the lack of salt in the body in exactly the amount that they need . This improves the absorption of feed and increases appetite, thereby preventing weight loss, promotes the formation of bone tissue, increases reproduction.
How to make lick salt at home
The starting material for making a lick at home is table salt, which is slightly moistened with water (not until dissolved), and then dried under pressure. Many breeders note that few people manage to get a full briquette in this way, most often it has insufficient density and quickly crumbles. Therefore, it is preferable to buy a ready-made lick salt for animals. Its price is from 12 rubles. per 1 kg, the appreciation depends primarily on the composition of mineral additives, as well as on the region and manufacturer.
Salt is an indispensable component of the diet of animals and is used both in pure form and as part of animal feed, protein and mineral complexes. However, it should not be uncontrolled to add it to the feed in a loose form, as this is fraught for animals with kidney disease, deposition in joints, etc. By using lick salt, negative consequences can be avoided. It is only necessary to give the animals the opportunity to regulate the salt balance themselves and provide them with enough water.