We all know that feeding minerals to livestock at grass is essential for the best performance, but did you know that there is an alternative to using molassed mineral buckets that is cheaper, more effective, uses 90% less plastic and only requires half the tonnage?

Norvite said it had specialised in manufacturing fully weatherproofed powdered minerals at its bespoke manufacturing facility in Aberdeenshire for the last 50 years. Using the most effective waterproofing package on the market, its free-access Grassmins range can be left out in all weathers, providing stock with 100% mineral, impervious to water – water simply puddles on the top, just like a mineral bucket.

Unlike molassed mineral bucket formulations, this range has been developed to meet the specific geological requirements of different parts of the country and can even be tailored to meet requirements in individual farms if required.

Whereas molassed mineral buckets typically contain 40-70% molasses, Grassmins are 100% mineral – allowing the supply of exactly what stock needs. In addition, the high production cost associated with manufacturing molassed mineral buckets also mean that feeding minerals this way can typically be both cheaper and of a higher specification, with more room available for high levels of organic minerals, seaweed meal, fish oil and garlic to repel biting insects.

An added benefit of being 100% mineral means that you only need to buy half the tonnage compared to molassed mineral buckets, said a Norvite spokesman. When combined with the fact that this product typically also cost less per tonne, it means that the cost of feeding minerals at grass is 70% less, compared to feeding a comparable bucket.

"Grassmins are typically fed in the field, either in a weighed bucket, a bucket placed in a tyre or in troughs and can be conveniently topped up from the bag every one to two days," said the spokesman.

"The Grassmins range has been designed to be highly palatable, with good levels of salt and a unique intake stimulant to ensure that average mineral intakes over the summer season are the same as we would expect them to consume in a winter TMR."

Recent feeding trials, in collaboration with SRUC, illustrated that not only were average intakes of the powdered and waterproof vitamins the same as that in a TMR diet – 25g for sheep, 125g for cattle – but that youngstock supplemented with the grew 19% faster than those receiving no mineral supplementation at grass.