With so many choices of salt to buy for livestock, we asked Tithebarn, a family-owned company who have been producing 'Rockies' - high quality salt licks for over 80 years, what is the importance of salt in our livestocks diet?
Salt – the key to hydration and rehydration
SALT (Sodium chloride) is an essential part of the daily diet of all livestock and is the key to efficient feed utilisation.
- stimulates saliva production and promotes digestion
- makes fodder more palatable
- helps to regulate the acid/alkali balance in the stomach
- aids movement and use of muscles
- aids fluid transfer between cells and the retention of water in body tissues.
Sweating causes appreciable loss of Sodium making supplementation essential. Whether standing in a field in our increasingly-hot summer months, hacking, jumping or racing, equines will lose water and minerals to sweat and it is vital that these are replaced. With a salt lick near to hand, horses will take the salt that they need which in turn encourages them to drink.
Naturally self-regulating, you can safely leave the salt licks for your animals to take as and when they require and in all feeding situations, indoor or out.
Rockies recommends a plentiful supply of water in close proximity to salt licks for this reason.
Check out the range of salt licks we have available at Vale Gardens instore and online.