FAQ’s

MegaMin is a broad spectrum mineral livestock supplement range and is available in a range of loose mix supplements, lick blocks, feedlot and dairy premixes and equine supplements.

Macro minerals and trace minerals are needed year round by livestock for optimum production, health and fertility. Our broad spectrum minerals are directly linked to metabolism and are essential for the utilisation of energy and protein.

Minerals cannot be synthesised within animals, therefore, providing livestock with adequate minerals can assist to stimulate metabolism and feed efficiency to increase daily weight gain and  body condition scores for stock grazing both native and improved pastures.

Poor animal health and fertility can be caused by many issues and if issues persist than consultation with a veterinarian is advised.  Nutritional reasons behind these issues could arise from:

• Poor quality forage due to low soil nutrition
• Insufficient feed conversion of fodder due to imbalance of microbes in the gastrointestinal tract.
• The animal isn’t receiving its daily requirements of important nutrients to maintain health and reproduction.

60-70% of all digestion occurs in the rumen.  The rumen and reticulum act as a fermentation vat wehre plant material is broken down by millions of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and protozoa).  Rumen conditions need to stay within a specific limited range to function properly.  The inter-dependence between the ruminant animal and ruminal microbes is known as a symbiotic relationship.  The animal provides the home and forage; the microbes digest the forage to supply nutrients for their own growth and reproduction.  The nutrients not utilised by the microbes and the microbes themselves, supply the animal the nutrients it requires for growth and reproduction.  Increasing the production of microbes in the rumen is the key to lifting production.

The MegaMin USDA/NOP blends are compliant with the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program

There is an obvious need to supplement livestock to maintain condition or avoid losses during winter and dry conditions.  Not so obvious are the clinical or sub-clinical mineral deficiencies that can restrict animal performance during good seasons or periods of lush pasture growth.  Take phosphorus for an example, livestock will respond best to phosphorus supplementation when their energy and protein requirements are being met.  The best time to supplement with phosphorus is during times when pasture quality and quantity is high.  When pasture quality improves, livestock grow faster or produce more milk.  This increased production is a result of increased ‘energy cycles’ in the animal which subsequently results in an increased requirement for phosphorus.  During times of lush green feed, there is the opportunity to maximise stock performance by supplementing with additional phosphorus.

Not for the majority of the MegaMin range. Please check with our nutrition team for more information.

The following applies for MegaMin Feedlot Enhancer:

Cattle: MEAT – NIL, MILK – NIL

Sheep:  MEAT – DO NOT USE less than 24 hours before slaughter for human consumption.

MILK – DO NOT USE in sheep or goats which are producing or may in the future produce milk where the milk or milk products may be used for human consumption.

Trade Advice – Export Slaughter Interval (ESI)

Cattle: An ESI has not been established.

Sheep:  DO NOT USE less than 7 days before slaughter for export.

It is important to start feeding dry season licks early in the season before livestock have already lost condition and developed cravings.  The onset of dry conditions can creep up.  By monitoring manure, a drop in feed quality can easily be identified, allowing the early introduction of supplements to avoid or minimise loss of stock condition.  When manure starts to ‘stack up’ (look like scones), protein supplementation is required to assist rumen function.

MegaMin Protein Supplements are formulated to feed rumen microbes to improve the rate of digestion and to stimulate the appetite of stock grazing frosted or dry pastures.  The combination of broad spectrum minerals and trace elements, urea and naturally protected protein meal stimulates rumen microbial activity for extended periods, helping stock to make the most of standing dry feed and increase weight gains.  MegaMin Protein Supplements include:

• MegaMin 50% Protein Meal
• MegaMin Graze & Grow Range
• MegaMin Dry Season Breeder Blend
• MegaMin Dry Feed Block

Supplements should be placed where the stock are going to come into contact with them in the first week to establish paddock acceptance.  After this time supplement should be placed out in the paddock away from water to encourage stock to graze the unused paddock feed.

Most of our supplements do not contain urea and therefore are safe products in the event of rain. (MegaMin Dry Feed Blocks and MegaMin Graze & Grow do contain urea and therefore have to be protected from weather). In saying this, MegaMin Loose Supplements are best kept dry and while MegaMin Lick Blocks will tolerate wet weather, exposure to long periods of rain and weathering may reduce palatability.  Loose licks are best fed in drainable, covered troughs.

Increase Intake

The reason that most stock do not take to loose mix supplements is mainly due to the bitter taste of several of the components in the mix.  To help entice stock to consume correct daily intakes of supplement than it is recommended to introduce into the top of the loose mix a palatable protein meal or grain.  The protein meal or grain needs to be incorporated into the top 15 cm of mix so that stock can acquire a taste for the supplement.  Ideal protein meals are: Copra Meal and Cotton Seed Meal.

Decrease Intake

Livestock are initially prone to consume greater levels of product at the beginning of a supplementation program.  Usually due to particular cravings for a particular mineral, element or protein that the mix provides. To help reduce intake, add one bag of loose mix to one bag of salt and then slowly decrease the salt content as the consumption rates fall below recommended daily intakes.  Alternatively, lactating cows and weaners may decrease intake quicker with the addition of mixing an equal weight of dicalcium phosphate (DCP) and then slowly decrease DCP as the consumption slows.

For more information contact your local AgSolutions’ Field Advisor.

Daily Intake = Kg of supplement  ÷ Number of days ÷ Number of Head  x  1000 (g in kg)

• e.g. 200kg ÷ 5 days ÷ 400 head x 1000 = 100 grams per head per day

Cost per head = Cost of supplement per tonne ÷ 1000 (kg in 1T) ÷ 1000 (g in kg) x Daily Intake

• E.g. $990 ÷ 1000 ÷ 1000 x 100 = $0.099 (10 cents) per head per day

A horse is slightly more tolerant than a ruminant to the addition of up to 4% of urea to its diet.  There is no benefit from feeding urea boosted cattle feeds to a horse.  There is a risk of toxicity if a horse consumes more urea than it can tolerate.  Some ruminant products contain and ingredient called monensin or Rumensin® that is toxic to horses.

Urea is used as a source of non-protein nitrogen in some supplements.  In ruminants, nitrogen from urea is released in the rumen as ammonia and can be used by rumen microbes to make protein.  If more urea is consumed than what the microbes can metabolise, the ammonia is absorbed from the rumen into the blood where it is converted back to urea in the liver and excreted by the kidneys.  This pathway can easily become overwhelmed when excess ammonia and urea circulate in the blood causing poisoning.  Poisoning can occur rapidly and if livestock are found dead close to a urea supplement than suspect poisoning.

What are the most common causes of Urea poisoning?

• Excess consumption of urea
• Sudden introduction to high quantities of urea
• Wet supplement containing urea, where the animal drinks urea water
• Irregular consumption of supplement and therefore urea.

Urea poisoning is usually identified by nervous signs such as:  twitching of ear and facial muscles, teeth grinding, frothy saliva, bloat, abdominal pain, rapid breathing, frequent urination, weakness, staggering, bellowing, violent struggling and terminal spasms.  Often animals are found dead near the source of urea supplement.

NatraMin is a mineral fertiliser and soil conditioner – it supplies broad spectrum of natural minerals and is formulated to improve all aspects of soil fertility. Nutritional – supply of essential mineral elements. Biological – stimulation of microbe and worm activity. Structural – improvement of soil aggregation.

NO. NatraMin is not water soluble. Unlike most fertilisers, NatraMin will not leach away with heavy rainfall. Microbe and worm activity is essential for the release and conversion of the macro and trace minerals supplied in NatraMin.

NatraMin contains a catalyst to stimulate both microbe and worm activity in your soil. This means that in addition to releasing the essential minerals supplied in NatraMin, these soil microbes will help to release locked up nutrients and maximize the effectiveness of applied fertiliser.

All crops. NatraMin is designed to “feed your soil.” After decades of farming, humus levels and vital mineral elements have been depleted and leached from soil, resulting in an ever increasing dependence on water soluble fertilisers.

CSIRO research has shown that the use of water soluble fertiliser such as 80kg N per hectare can reduce biological activity by as much as 25%. Many farmers now report that worm activity is non existent on their property. Soil structure is subsequently affected and is evidenced by poor water infiltration and drainage, with crusting or compacted soil that is difficult and expensive to work.  The end result is often lower yielding crops that require increasing levels of fertiliser and chemical sprays.

Rather than “feeding your crop” with water soluble fertiliser, NatraMin “feeds your soil” by restoring the mineral elements and stimulating microbe and worm activity. 

YES. NatraMin has proven to be an effective alternative to Super Phosphate and also eliminates the need to use Lime for pH management. Increased legume content in pasture is another benefit of using NatraMin.

If planting crops, Yes. As NatraMin does not contain nitrogen, it is important to address this need. If legumes have been in the program previously, nitrogen requirements can be reduced or, in some instances, eliminated. A soil test is recommended to evaluate crop needs. We can have a soil test performed for you or alternatively we can evaluate an existing soil test that you may have.

Often it is possible to reduce the amount of fertiliser by 25 to 50% in the first year of using NatraMin, with further reductions possible in the following years.

By following a program of remineralisation with NatraMin, crop rotations that include a legume and returning stubble or a green manure crop to provide organic matter, many farmers have found that over the course of 2 to 3 years, they have been able to markedly reduce or eliminate the use of water soluble fertiliser.

Yes. Soil microbes play a vital role in effectively reducing soil salinity problems and we have had many reports of improvements in both soil test results and crop performance where NatraMin has been used in affected areas.

It is OK to apply NatraMin at any time of the year. Annual applications are recommended for existing pasture, tree crops and broad acre crops and more often for intensive irrigated pasture or crops. Repeat applications are recommended to build up the minerals levels in your soil and help to restore soil fertility.

For more information contact your local AgSolutions’ Field Advisor.

Many farmers have found that NatraMin has given them better results than using Lime for pH management. Because NatraMin provides broad spectrum minerals and stimulates microbe activity, reduced amounts of acidifying water soluble fertiliser are required. This reduced amount of fertiliser, coupled with increased microbial activity in the soil, work together to balance soil pH and render “locked up” nutrients available and ready for plant uptake.

As a soil breaker –  Yes. NatraMin HI-Phos and NatraMin Cal-S provide a good supply of calcium and sulphur which both help to improve soil structure. In addition, NatraMin stimulates biological activity. Soil microbes product their own weight in humus every day, directly assisting soil aggregation, aeration, water infiltration and moisture holding capacity. NatraMin is particularly beneficial after laser leveling and for compacted soil.

Each blend of NatraMin provides the broad spectrum of minerals with the different blends providing extra potassium, calcium, phosphorus and sulphur.

Obviously soil and crop requirements will vary. A soil test and previous crop and fertiliser history needs to be considered when making a decision about the rate and blend that is best for your needs. Using this information we can tailor a management program to help restore health and fertility to your soil.

Farming is your livelihood. To remain profitable under current conditions is always a challenge. Profit margins can be boosted by increasing production or reducing costs, or ideally a combination of the two. The restoration of soil fertility through the use of NatraMin can help to make this a reality.

NatraMin is safe and will not burn seeds. NatraMin can be used as a seed carrier, or alternatively, if NatraMin is applied at soil preparation time 4 to 6 weeks prior to planting, many farmers have reported increased germination.