Minerals: The Proper Mix

An effort to get rid of all of the dirty minerals that were going into my mineral program, led me to Redmond Salt and subsequently to the Swerczek family in Nebraska. These brothers are a wealth of information on how polluted our sources of minerals are, especially those coming from China. The cadmium, found in zinc and rock phosphates, along with iron oxide, ties up copper and other minerals.

For the past 30 years on their family farm in Nebraska, involving cow-calf and feedlot operations, the Swerczeks were among the first to observe a multitude of opportunistic disease conditions in their cattle that had not been present the previous decades when their father operated their family farm. It had been a rarity for their father, or others with similar cattle operations, to have any sick cattle, but in recent decades it was not unusual to experience a multitude of opportunistic disease syndromes, most involving respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

The Swerczeks finally realized that the problems their cattle were manifesting were related to the way their operation differed from their father’s operation, in that he raised his cattle naturally, supplementing only natural trace mineralized white salt. Basically what they discovered is that the majority of cattle that were suffering, did so because of a sodium deficiency plus a mineral imbalance induced by heavy metals and/or too many essential minerals and trace elements. This lead to the over consumption of minerals that may be essential, but extremely toxic if over consumed, and this led to mineral imbalances. Cattle were showing signs of a copper deficiency, yet there was adequate copper in the diet. After performing numerous tests on affected cattle and feedstuffs, they discovered that mineral supplements, including rock phosphates, were contaminated with heavy metals, which were tying up copper.

Through their many years of research, involving thousands of cattle on their family farm, they found that adding more copper to the diet was not the answer. They found that too much copper is more detrimental than too little. Too much copper seemingly caused an induced immune suppression that promoted a host of opportunistic diseases. On black cattle, kinky reddish hair is a sure sign of toxicity. They found that if the minerals were free of heavy metals, only a minute amount of trace minerals was necessary; as these trace minerals may, in some cases, be as toxic as the heavy metals if fed in excess.

They found that excess potassium, nitrates, and too little sodium in forages and hay may induce a mineral imbalance. This is seen in the grass tetany syndrome, which seemingly is associated with nitrate toxicity, excess potassium and a deficiency of sodium in the diet, all of which induce a deficiency of magnesium and calcium. Providing adequate amounts of sodium chloride and/or sodium bicarbonate, along with adequate calcium and magnesium in the diet, will neutralize excess nitrate, which is then excreted in the feces and urine, and then the magnesium and calcium blood levels are maintained. Under this scenario, hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia are less likely to occur.

The Swerczeks found that many mineral supplements, primarily those that contain high levels of magnesium had mixed results in preventing grass tetany. If mineral mixes with too little sodium were fed year round, cattle were more likely to suffer from a mineral imbalance, wasting, diarrhea, reduced milk production and reduced calf weights at weaning. The reason was that the cattle would overeat the mineral supplement in an attempt to obtain the sodium chloride, which was essential. Subsequently, toxicity would ensue from any heavy metals in the mixes and/or from over consuming magnesium and trace elements included in the mineral mixes over a period of several months. Simply feeding the magnesium rich supplements for just a few weeks in the spring, when grass tetany is more likely to occur, might have had better overall success.

They found it was necessary to determine the source of the contaminated feedstuffs, eliminate these sources and obtain a pure a source of feedstuffs and minerals. Also, they found that it was very important to use pure fertilizers, as fertilizers can be a source of heavy metals and other toxins. They found it was necessary to locate an unbiased, reliable laboratory, with no conflict of interest, and to test feedstuffs and fertilizers. (A good book to read on this subject is Fateful Harvest by Duff Wilson.)

In general, the natural sea salts are pure, in near perfect combinations and are readily absorbed by the body; as a result, the very small amounts of the balanced trace elements found in sea salts will promote optimum performance and heath. Similarly, researchers say there is not enough vitamin C in an apple to meet our body’s requirements, yet being in synergy with all of the other nutrients contained therein, as the old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the Doctor away!”

After testing several products on numerous cattle, the Swerczeks have found that a very basic combination of natural salts promotes the growth of very healthy cattle.

On the human side, most of the salt that is consumed in the world is salt with the minerals processed out. Mineral rich salt is most effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats; contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure, mineral rich salt in conjunction with water is actually essential for the regulation of blood pressure. (For more information read Dr. David Brownstein’s book SALT – Your Way to Health.) 

The Swerczek’s basic recommendation for cattle follows.

Equal parts Redmond Salt (an ancient sequestered sea salt) and Redmond Conditioner (volcanic overlay on the salt deposit) mixed together; baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) from Natural Soda in Rifle, Colorado, is also put out “free choice.” This sodium bicarbonate is taken from a 1900 foot deep sequestered deposit. Anecdotally, keeping sodium bicarbonate in front of the animals free choice while grazing or feeding alfalfa hay will greatly diminish bloat. To find a distributor in your area for these products, go to the following web addresses www.redmondnatural.com   and http://naturalsoda.com/main.aspx All three of these minerals from sequestered sources are mined and free of man's impurities. Adding a high quality calcium carbonate, free choice, is also suggested. Perhaps the amount the cattle consume will be based on the PH of soils and forage.

For most of the year, mix the Salt and Conditioner 1-to-1. Their one warning on the conditioner is during the spring and fall lush of feed and during “abnormal” weather events, the conditioner should be pulled from the mix as at that time of year it acts like gasoline added to a fire! The conditioner has been shown on the Swerczek’s farm to prevent coccidiosis and 80% of foot rot, pink-eye and encephalomalasia. It promotes early shedding of hair and improved weight gain.

Their suggestion is to feed Natural Soda free choice year round. Cattle will consume more of this during frosty times as the grasses are loading up on chloride, potassium and pulling in nitrates. Salt is sodium chloride and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate seems to be the sodium of choice at those times. Even before I knew the reason why, I was noticing that my cattle were staying away from the mineral mix at these times, and now I understand that they did not want any more chloride in their system.

The following is what I have observed in my cow herd since adopting the Swerczek’s mineral recommendation: lack of any health issues whatsoever; cattle consuming an amazing amount of sodium bicarbonate at changes of season, weather and, to a lesser extent, with feed quality; and my animals appear to have simply relaxed.

I now use the consumption of sodium bicarbonate as a gauge for when to pull or reintroduce the Redmond conditioner into the mineral mix. Basically, when the animals are consuming a lot of sodium bicarbonate, I pull the conditioner. As the consumption of sodium bicarbonate moderates, I add the conditioner back to the mix. However, I keep sodium bicarbonate out, free choice, year round, as I can not be there every day to monitor the changes in season, weather and feed quality.

For a grass finishing operation, the "ratio" of quantity needed on hand is going to be basically 3-2-1.

3 parts of Redmond Salt

2 parts of Redmond Conditioner

1 part of Natural Soda

 

Aaron Ellison, from Redmond Natural says that the conditioner is volcanic ash that fell into the sea water and sits as a deposit right on top of our salt deposit.  So it is mineral rich with deep-earth and sea minerals. The other great thing about conditioner is its ability to absorb toxins.  That allows animals to produce and perform as they should . The most common forms of mold in feeds are aflatoxins.  Conditioner absorbs ninety plus percent of those aflatoxins and carries them out.  It absorbs several other toxins too at various levels of efficiency.  It has been compared to some pretty fancy and expensive toxin binders and performed equally well, if not better.  It also counters acidosis in the rumen.  Animals have chosen to ingest it free choice when overloaded with grain and acidosis related death loss is lower.

There is not a set amount of any of these items the animals will consume daily. It varies from day to day and with the seasons. If you find that your cattle are consuming very little, pat yourself on the back for how good your soils and cattle are. Speaking of soils, Redmond Salt can also be used for soil fertility. Foliar or dry, the addition of minerals to our depleted soils will more put minerals into the forage grown therein.

We, as a group of progressive farmers, are trying to sell a higher quality animal protein, which can only be produced with higher quality inputs: forage, minerals, genetics, and friendly human interaction. Choose wisely!

For more information on this program, contact Steve Swerczek at 402-649-1998 or Aaron Elison at www.redmondnatural.com