Finding the Right Tub for the Right Situation

Step by Step Tub Selection Guide

Tub selection can be a bit overwhelming without a good understanding of what your livestock’s needs are. Having too many options offered by a tub supplier can also add to the confusion. At Nelson Tubs we strive to have a robust line of tubs that provide answers for most of your livestock supplementation needs.

The questions we asked ourselves in putting our product offering together are an excellent starting guide for you to use in determining what product fills your need. Follow this process to get the right product to support the performance and health of your animals.

1. What type of animal are you feeding?

   1. Mature cow

   2. Growing cattle

   3. Calves

   4. Multi-species

   5. Sheep

   6. Horses

      
      

2. What type and quality of forage are the animals consuming? Crude protein is the best indicator of forage quality as CP% declines with advancing forage maturity. Fiber levels are also indicative of quality but harder to estimate.

Forage Type and Quality	Tub Type Needed
Lush growing pasture	Mineral type
Mature or dormmate pasture	Protein type
High-quality hay – 15% CP or greater	Mineral type
​Medium-quality hay – 10-14% CP	​14-20% CP tub
​Low-quality hay – 9% CP or less	​25-30% CP tub

3. What level of mineral fortification do you need?

1. Average fortification with most of the mineral delivery from the tub.

2. High fortification with most of the mineral delivery from the tub.

3. Low fortification from the tub due to other mineral sources being offered.

Most of the Nelson Tubs protein options provide the basic mineral needs of your livestock. Mineral tubs and Stress tubs are higher fortified with more bioavailable ingredients with lower intakes of two to six ounces per day.

4. What size and type of container best fits your specific situation?

1. Large 200 and 250 lb. durable plastic tubs

2. Environmentally friendly biodegradable tubs

3. Small and easy to manage 50 lb. plastic tubs

Tub selection comes down to filling a need. Do you need to maintain cattle or add weight? Are they growing cattle, weaned calves, or mature cows? Most importantly, what is your forage situation? Nelson Tubs can make you more successful by maximizing the utilization of your available forage. The basic steps are to define the animal, the forage, and the fortification level to determine the correct tub for your situation. Feel free to share your answers to this short guide with your Nelson Tubs representative or email our team so we can point out the tub that works best for you.