I have been doing free choice minerals with my grassfinished cattle program and really like it. You should look into the 12 stone program at Advanced Biological Concepts (ABC). It will give you an idea of what your cattle is lacking because they will usually devour one or two minerals when you first set them out. Then as your feed quality and type change throughout the year it will keep changing. I no longer need to set out individual minerals like zinc, copper, etc. as I have pretty much corrected all the deficiencies, but have different types of balanced mixes.

Here is what I am currently using:

1. loose white salt

2. Redmond Conditioner (they only use if there’s lots of noxious weeds out)

3. Kelp

4. Baking Soda (to balance the rumen, I find this necessary when on alfalfa or other hot forages)

5. Redmond 90 salt block (not loose) with Selenium

6. ABC 2:1 Ca:P beef mineral mix

7. ABC Hi-Phos beef mineral mix

8. Calcium carbonate (hardly ever touch this)

I’m now using the RIOMAX grassfed protein tubs with chelated minerals, and find that they work really well in the dormant grass season. I can remove #6 & #7 then. Technically I should remove #8 since the tubs have selenium, but I have not found to get selenium toxicity. I have extremely low selenium in my area.