Magnesium oxide, which is fed to cattle to manage against grass tetany, is not very palatable. Commercial grass tetany mineral supplements will contain a product that will encourage cattle to eat it. Feed the mineral according to label directions about 35 to 40 days before cattle are turned out to pasture. If the cattle do not want to eat the mineral, visit with the feed dealer to determine what can be done to encourage intake. Sometimes they will have you add a small amount of soybean meal (SBM). The amount may be as little as one to two pounds in a 50-pound bag. In this case, make sure the SBM is mixed uniformly. Also, start with small amounts of SBM as you do not want cattle to consume too much. Keep in mind that grass tetany mineral is usually expensive.

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