Bullseye™ Range Program
Ralco Nutrition, Inc. manufactures a variety of complete vitamin/mineral supplements for use in beef production systems. Nutritionists have long recognized the importance of supplementing the proper balance of these key nutrients to maximize animal performance. They play major roles in the digestion of feedstuffs, maintenance of body tissues, growth processes, reproduction, and immune function.
Bullseye™ Range Minerals
The Ralco range mineral program is designed to account for changes in forage nutrient content throughout the growing season. Specific Mineral products are “targeted” to achieve animal production objectives by accounting for seasonal and geographical variations in forage nutritional value. The Mineral products have been formulated to provide the proper levels of minerals and vitamins in order to achieve balance with those supplied by the forage. Biological availability and palatability of ingredients included in the product formulations is of great importance. Chelated trace minerals are used when physiological demands are particularly high (reproduction, immune function) or high levels of antagonists to normal mineral absorption are expected to exist. Your Ralco Representative can assist you in developing an effective supplementation program and selecting those Mineral products best suited to ensure maximum performance and profitability in your operation.
Bullseye™ Green Mineral
This Mineral, as the name indicates, is designed to be fed when cattle are grazing rapidly growing, green grass. The key feature of this Mineral is that it has 10% magnesium to aid in the prevention of grass tetany. Levels of trace minerals and vitamins balance the high nutritive value of the forage the cattle are consuming during the time this Mineral is fed. The phosphorus level at 6% is generally adequate on these high quality forages. The total formulation is focused on ensuring palatability and consumption, since high levels of magnesium are not palatable. Adequate consumption is particularly important to reduce the incidence of grass tetany.
Bullseye™ Brown Mineral
This product is the most versatile Mineral in the lineup. It is designed to be fed after the spring green up period and could be fed most of the year, depending on the type of forage and class of cattle. It contains 8% phosphorus, which should be adequate 90% of the time. The exception to this would be cattle on extremely low quality or drought stricken forage, or for cattle with extremely high milk production. This Mineral supplies a high level of vitamins, exceeds the minimum requirements for all trace mineral levels and supplies approximately 25% of the total zinc, copper and manganese from an organic source.
Bullseye™ Winter Mineral
This Mineral is unique in that it has a very limited amount of added salt. This serves two purposes – 1st) there are some areas in which the salt content of water or grasses is sufficiently high so the cattle will just not consume a mineral product with added salt, and 2nd) there are some producers who prefer to add the salt themselves. Therefore, this Mineral is designed to be consumed at 2 oz. daily instead of 3 oz. like the other Bullseye ™ Minerals. Or stated another way, it is designed to be mixed with salt in a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1. This Mineral contains 12% phosphorus, with high levels of trace minerals and vitamins. This would also be a good choice for really low quality or drought stricken forages. Also, when considered on cost per day basis, it is one of the more economical minerals.
Bullseye™ Breeder Mineral
The Breeder Mineral is the most fortified and contains the most additives of any of the Bullseye™Minerals. It is a 10% phosphorus mineral, so it should work in almost any situation. It has the highest level of trace minerals, organic trace minerals and vitamins of all the minerals. This mineral is specifically targeted at the cow herd just prior to the breeding season to help get cows cycling and ensure more cows getting bred within the targeted breeding season. This Mineral will probably have the most benefit in embryo transfer and A.I. breeding programs. It is a very good mineral in the areas of the country that have extreme problems with mineral antagonists, like molybdenum, iron or high sulfate water. This mineral also contains some seaweed meal, which has been shown to have benefit in high stress situations. It is also available with Ralco’s IntregraMOS®, which promotes optimum immune function and a desirable balance of intestinal microflora.
Bullseye™ All Purpose
This Mineral was designed to fit a couple of situations. It is a very good mineral for stocker cattle. It can be used as a mixer mineral in programs when feeding cows out of a mixer wagon where higher levels of phosphorus are not needed. It is the lowest phosphorus Mineral in the lineup without any added special ingredients, such as yeast or organic trace minerals. However, it is the Mineral having the most additive options in, such as CTC®, Altosid®, Rumensin®, and IntregraMOS®.
Bullseye™ Fescue Minerals
A Mineral designed specifically for areas of the country that have endophyte infected tall fescue pastures. It is a 7% phosphorus Mineral and has higher levels of trace minerals more similar to the Breeder Mineral for optimum immune function. It also contains seaweed meal and IntegraMOS®. Research data has indicated that cattle grazing endophyte infected pastures in the heat of the summer have lower core body temperatures when seaweed meal is fed. IntegraMOS® has been demonstrated to support the immune system that is challenged during both heat stress and the oxidative stresses associated with Fescue toxicosis.
Western Golden Gain
This is a regional Mineral designed for the western area of the US where two conditions are more common. First the area has a high frequency of copper antagonists (predominantly molybdenum) in the forages, and second a high incidence of salinity in the soils and water sources causes cattle to consume less Mineral. With these factors in mind, this Mineral was formulated with a high level of copper, but more importantly, half of the total copper coming from an organic source for better bioavailability. This Mineral contains a moderate level of phosphorus at 8.5% to allow for increased use of distillers grain carrier and other palatability enhancers that ensure cattle will consume an acceptable level of the product.