In South-Eastern Australian dairy pasture systems, we often trust green feed to do the heavy lifting. Yet season after season, data and cows keep telling us the same story — shortfalls in mineral intake, as well as excessive mineral intake, quietly chip away at production, fertility and resilience.
Minerals generally don’t headline the ration sheet, but they drive the chemistry behind it.
Calcium and phosphorus underpin milk synthesis, bone turnover and smooth muscle control; magnesium safeguards against grass tetany in fast-growing swards; sodium, sulphur and potassium influence water balance and rumen function; and trace elements such as copper, zinc, selenium and iodine govern immune defence, hoof integrity and reproductive efficiency.
An imbalance in any one of these can impact performance long before you see obvious clinical signs, and the use of nitrogen to boost pasture growth only exacerbates these effects.
That’s where dry mineral licks earn their keep.
Offered ad‑lib in small troughs (with drainage and shelter), they give cows reliable access to the critical grams they can’t reliably find in pasture alone.
Unlike blocks, loose dry licks offer consistent intake and better weather resistance, critical during wet seasons.
When loose dry licks are placed strategically, cows can self-regulate consumption, typically 50 to 100 grams per head per day.
This ad-lib approach reduces labour and ensures minerals are available when cows need them most, and across the year, this simple, low-touch tool helps smooth the seasonal bumps pasture systems create.
In spring, lush, potassium‑rich grass can depress magnesium status — high‑magnesium licks are cheap insurance.
Through summer, a balanced maintenance lick can help protect yield and body condition.
In autumn, topping up phosphorus and key trace minerals sets cows up for winter and joining.
And in winter, when pasture is wet and temperatures are cold, a well-balanced lick supports rumen microbes to keep digestion and the vat moving.
Position licks in natural traffic lanes but not right on the water point to prevent gorging.
Provide multiple small troughs to reduce bullying and spread intake evenly.
Check consumption weekly (most herds land around 50 to 100 g per cow per day) and adjust placement if intakes are too high or too low.
Keep troughs dry and clean; a simple roof and a firm, drained pad pay for themselves quickly.
And remember: licks supplement pasture — they don’t replace roughage or broader ration balance.
This isn’t a silver bullet. It’s a quiet, dependable habit that compounds over time: fewer down cows, steadier milk, sharper heats, tighter calving patterns.
In a margin-tight industry, that’s the kind of advantage worth banking.
Small changes, made consistently, deliver durable results. Dry mineral licks are one of those changes easy to implement, easy to monitor and exactly the kind of quiet edge that keeps a pasture-based dairy business resilient through Australia’s variable seasons.
For more information on how to best utilise licks in your herd, call Dan Allen from Animal Mineral Solutions on (03) 5831 2176 or visit animalmineralsolutions.com.au
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