Kelp meal

[nookers]

As I read through the threads, it seems more q's come to me. I was reading about pica, and ketosis, nutrition etc. As on a previous post, I mentioned that Bella and Lulu were both eating spruce and pine needles. They had both been eating dirt before the snow fell too. I started to wonder if maybe they are missing some key minerals or food choice. Bella, the jersey, won't even take carrots, apples (her fave) or anything anymore. This got me thinking maybe I can stop this bizzare behaviour with better food. I feed free choice second cut hay (at least it's supposed to be, but I didn't cut it) and a couple of handfuls of barley, oats and corn in the morning. I don't want to offer too much grain, as I know it causes upset rumens, but the added protein I hear is needed for good growth of calfs. I have kelp meal that I can offer as food that showed the following nutritional information, and I don't know why it says MIN and MAX, but I will include that in case it's relevant.
Crude Protein 4.0% Min
Crude Fiber 8.0% Max
Crude Fat 2.0% Min
Calcium 1.5% Min 2.0% Max
Phophorus .10% Min
Salt 3.5% Min 4.5% Max
Potassium 2.0% Min
Iodine 500ppm Min 800ppm Max
This sounds good to me, if indeed the brown mineral lick blocks are mostly worthless as I read on another thread. Of couse, this leads a question about how much to offer and can they have too much? This meal looks similar to sand. I intend on looking for molasses when I go to the feed store today, but what is the benefit of giving that? Extra calories? Bella isn't even in milk, and Lulu I'm not sure what to do with since she is Simmental-Durham cross. I don't think I want to beef her, but if I can milk her, why not? I wondered about buying a dairy ration food and whether or not offering a whole schwack of food choices should get them what they need. I am needing to remain organic, as I plan to certify in the spring. What are your thoughts? Thank you.

[Jenn]

I offer kelp free choice. They tend to hit it hard in the beginning, then ignore it for weeks on end.
The min means that is the minimum amount of that ingredient, the max means that is the maximum amount. This allows for variances from batch to batch without having to change the label.

The salt blocks are SLOW to get minerals from. I have seen cows literally stand all day at a block trying to get what they needed.

-Jenn

[lynpea]

When we had dairy goats they always ate pine needles in the winter. So much that we would cut it for them so they wouldn't injure their udders trying to get to it. That's the only time that they would do it. I think it's because the needles are high in Vit. C and there was nothing green to eat.