Animal Health Products for Spring – Make Dusting… Dustless!

Ensuring the health of your livestock involves precise and efficient nutrient application. One effective strategy, is to apply products like magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, lime flour, and dicalcium phosphate (DCP) on the pasture ahead and depending on your individual farm requirements. Provided, there is no significant rainfall forecasted between application and grazing, your product will maintain on the leaf through dew and light showers.

Using the Tow and Fert system for this application process offers significant advantages. Traditionally, spreading these supplements can be a dusty and inefficient process. However, Tow and Fert provides a dustless application method that directly adheres the product to the leaf surface. This approach minimizes product wastage to wind or uneven distribution (no striping). It ensures that the nutrients are delivered with good coverage, precisely where they are needed most—the leaf surface, where they can be grazed by the animal or absorbed by the plant.

Amy Stokes, Farm Manager, Stokes Family Farms:

“We had wanted to find something that meant we didn’t have to dust paddocks because it was a job that everyone hated. The Tow and Fert fixed that. We could spray 5-6 days ahead of the cows and we knew the results were better than we were getting with the dusting.”

“We were a little nervous about applying fert at first so through the springtime we just started out putting on Mag Oxide and Lime Flour following the cows.”
Amy Stokes, Stokes Family Farms

Amy explains that the results came quickly “We noticed less metabolic issues and less down cows. The cows just seemed happier coming into peak milk and we carried that on right through to mid-December just because it was an easy task. We know we are getting better results, and it is way easier to do as well.”

Mag Oxide and Lime Flour stuck to foliage to reduce losses when dusting through the Tow and Fert and promote better animal intake. — An even application of Magnesium Oxide and Lime Flour stuck to foliage to reduce losses when dusting through the Tow and Fert.

The Tow and Fert system’s ability to apply these nutrients in a dustless manner also means less respiratory risk for both the animals and the operators, enhancing overall farm safety. Additionally, the reduced wastage translates to cost savings and more sustainable farming practices. Applying mag oxide, lime flour, and DCP with the Tow and Fert system ahead of your cows not only promotes better animal health but also maximizes efficiency and sustainability in nutrient application. This ensures that your cows receive the essential nutrients they need in the most effective and environmentally friendly manner.

Dairy NZ State: “When dusting minerals in the paddock, the levels need to be either double or triple to allow for losses.”

The above statement is true for dusting however – this is not the case when you’re sticking the Magnesium Oxide to the leaf pre-grazing using your Tow and Fert. Due to not having the same level of losses you would with traditional dusting, through the Tow and Fert you can use half the amount you would if spreading it as a dust. For example. If your typical dusting would be 100g. Through the Tow and Fert you can apply 50g for the same effect.

For an example of a Tow and Fert compatible animal health mix and to see what Tow and Fert users are doing, check out the video below:

Please note, individual requirements and application rates may vary. We recommend you consult with your farm advisor, agronomist or animal health professional to get advised tailored to your needs.