Last updated on October 10th, 2023 at 01:29 pm
Are you looking to increase your conception rates, or tighten up your breeding window on your ranch? No doubt the answer is yes unless you are completely satisfied with where you’re at. But even, then, how can you ensure that you maintain breeding success?
100% Protected Trace Minerals
One factor that many ranchers overlook is the importance of 100% protected trace minerals.
Simply put, 100% protected trace minerals are essential in allowing the mineral to reach the animal’s bloodstream. Because they are fully protected, the minerals have the highest scientific chance of getting to where they can move the needle: the blood.
Once in the blood, minerals can start making an impact on the cow’s performance. Whether it’s boosting overall conception rates, getting cows to catch in the first cycle and tightening up your breeding window, or improving calving health and performance, the minerals need to get into the blood before they can be of any help.
The terms ‘100% protected’ and ‘rumen-bypass trace minerals’ can sometimes be hard to understand. Think of it as a mineral that has a protective bodyguard mechanism around it. The purpose of the protection is to help it get through the harsh rumen environment, and into the small intestine. From there, it can go across the cell wall into the bloodstream.
What Kind Of Mineral To Avoid?
Some products claim they have protected minerals, and that may be true; they probably have some protected minerals. But, very few mineral programs have 100% protected trace minerals.
When making your mineral supplement decision, take a close look at the tag. If you see ingredients such as copper sulfate or zinc oxide, we would suggest steering away from those products. Why? Copper sulfate and zinc oxide are very low availability forms of trace minerals, and they have much less of a chance to get into the bloodstream. Ultimately, your chance of success is lower.
When Is The Best Time To Impact Conception Rates?
Any time of the year is better than never because the sooner you start supplementing a quality mineral program, the sooner you can start seeing results.
In terms of specifically impacting conception rates, it is critical to have a supplement available before breeding begins. For many ranchers, this time period is early spring. This is when it is absolutely essential to be focused on the conception rates, fertility, and reproductive performance in your cowherd. Here at Riomax®, experience has shown us that some form of quality mineral should be available to bulls and cows at least 60 days before bull turn-out for it to have a positive impact on conception rates.
How Much Can Riomax® Impact Conception Rates?
Year in and year out, conception rates is one of the biggest factors that Riomax® is judged on. On average, ranchers see anywhere from a 3% to a 10% increase in conception rates when supplementing Riomax®. We strive to live up to these results because if we can’t impact factors like this on your operation, is Riomax® truly a fit for you?