Here is the analysis tag from the high Ph mineral that the deer seem to really like.
Adios,
Gary

Thanks Gary for posting

Interesting Gary when I googled Ragland Mills, it says they are in Paris Texas. Same logo...

Called them, they have a location in Paris. Had to call the MO number. The sales guy is calling back about where these blocks are stocked in DFW.

Thanks !

Please share the info when you get it.

I will try to take photos of the two blocks that I have on the river if I get there before dark. As I said earlier, I put them out last week on Thursday evening. I hope this mineral helps you as much as I feel it helped my deer here in Menard County as well as Terrell County. The good thing is, it won't cost much to try. I wish that I would have had it out about a month ago.
Adios,
Gary

Will do Jimbo

So what’s the difference between it and any other 12-12 block or 12-12-12 block?

12 is just percentage of phosphorus, calcium and salt?

Sales Mgr called me back. He is going to FU with me on any stocking locations in DFW. He mentioned the 2 12-12 blocks and said there was a difference but I did not ask him what. I will when he calls me back and will share.

I am not familiar with the one being made by West Feeds so it will be interesting to know what the difference is. Thanks 4Weight!
Adios,
Gary

I just went by the store in Kerrville to pick up 3 of the blocks. Good thing I was watching. They gave me one and the other 2 only had 4 % phosphorus. I told the guy this is not what I bought. He said it was the same just different packaging. I told him BS. I got hold of the boss and told him and finally got my money back for the other 2.

Yeah, there's a reason he's working the dock at a feed store.

Correct Don! The only reason to purchase the blocks is to get the high P. They had 12 last Thursday and I picked up 4 so I bet they are running low. This is good for everyone to watch for...
Adios,
Gary

I'll see if they are around my location. Thanks.

I checked on my two feeding locations on the river yesterday and they are still getting quite a bit of activity. I meant to take photos of the blocks but forgot my phone. If I make it out there today, I will try to remember to take photos. I am guessing that the deer have consumed 4-5 lbs from each block and the blocks are about 250 yards apart. This means that they have eaten at least 8 pounds in 5 days. So far, the hogs have not found them; as I stated earlier, these blocks are much harder than your average protein block.
Adios,
Gary

Gary
Are you sure that the high selenium content will be good for the deer? Too much selenium may get a deer sick. The package says "Do not feed to goats." I know that selenium is the ingredient that promotes antler growth. Just asking.

Do not feed to sheep. Goats around here need more selenium.

The label says, do not feed to Sheep. It is fine for goats and goats are more closely akin to deer as they are browsers. I doubt that selenium is very good for hogs either.
Adios,
Gary

This is a photo of one of the blocks taken yesterday evening. The other block is showing about the same amount of consumption. I put them in the field last Thursday evening.
I visited with Brandon Burch with Compton Warehouse here in Menard this morning. He said that he should have blocks in next week.
Adios,
Gary

Thanks Gary! I will stop in to Compton's next weekend.

Okay guys I just got off a 15-20 minute conversation with Dwight at Ragland. There is not a ton of difference between the 12-12 and the 12-12-12. The last 12 is the percentage of salt in the block. In the 12-12 Elite, the salt content is 10.5. Golden Oak out of DeLeon stock the blocks and Dillard's Feed Store in Weatherford buys from Golden Oak. When we hung up, Dwight was going to call Dillard's about our conversation and I pointed him to THF so he could see the conversations between us.

One of the key benefits to these blocks is they aid livestock and wildlife in reproduction. That can't be anything but a good thing for deer too. We discussed soils and I told him my place out in Throckmorton county was mainly red clay and Dwight did not think there was very much PH in that soil either so the blocks may be well received by the deer out my way.

That covers most of our conversation, really good guy. Any more questions, let me know or I can put you in touch with Dwight.

4W

Appreciate the follow up.

I put the blocks on a plow of any kind that the hogs can’t get to. They roll them a long way.

Thanks for all the help 4 W! I noticed that the Axis have moved one of the blocks about 5 yards downhill from where it started. Consumption has not slowed as far as I can tell.
Adios,
Gary

Gary, One of the things I learned some 65 years ago in ag class was each each animal species has their own body requirements where minerals are concernd. To this day, my cattle get one mineral, deer get another. I put out a free choice supplement for free range deer that was developed by Lyssy & Eckel just for deer. I was wondering why you used a cattle mineral?

Frio

I have found through the years that food products labeled specifically for "deer" are priced higher and the formulas are basically the same. Up here, my goal is to increase the P intake with the mineral and I think that this 12-12 livestock mineral will do that. There's no doubt that Lyssy & Eckels make a great deer feed and supplement.
By the way, I stopped at the cemetery at Frio Town the other day to see if any of my relatives were buried there. As a kid, we used to swap Polled Herefords bulls with the Saunders Family at Frio Town.
Adios,
Gary

Gary, I see where you are going with this. However, what a deer doesn't use is passed out of the body. Same applies to most other animals. There are other trace minerals used in each blend as well. Thus my use of an animal specific mineral.

Frio

I'm going to try the Ragland 12% when the blocks are in stock locally. I'll see how the deer take to it. I also use L&E minerals. Mass-o-Rack to be specific, but I'm also going to put out Ragland. L&E mineral content:

L&E make great products but I am betting that formula is for South Texas as it has 4% P.
Adios,
Gary

I’ve read too much copper is bad for the deer. I ran across a North American Whitetail article that said they could tolerate 200ppm, but wouldn’t recommend it. The label above lists 1400ppm of copper. Have you had any issues using it?

Copper is bad for Sheep. I need more selenium. So, I get blocks that have that. Most blocks are generic. I look for blocks that have what I need for where I am it.

I have never had an issue with copper and deer. But then I have never raised any sheep!! Several thousand goats - no problems there either. 270, I feel quite certain that L & E and Purena know exactly what they ae doing. More so than any of us us on this forum.

Frio

Thanks Frio. That’s what I was thinking. Just wanted to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid.

I've not had any issues. Google AI says:

Whitetail deer need 11–12 milligrams of copper per kilogram of dry matter in their diet. However, the optimal amount of copper for whitetail deer is unknown.

Why copper is important:
Copper helps deer form connective tissue
Copper helps deer's muscles, nerves, and immune system function
Copper deficiencies can lead to weakened hearts and blood vessels

Copper deficiency signs:
Dull, faded coats
Weak bones
Swayback
Increased susceptibility to diseases like yersiniosis and parasitism

I checked my two blocks on the river yesterday and the axis and deer are still pounding them. I think that there are more axis coming in after dark. I am seeing about 50 gentler ones but I am guessing that there is another population of wild ones. I agree that any unneeded minerals would be passed through the deer, but also know that 4% P in the Hill Country and Trans-Pecos is not high enough according to a Wildlife Biologist from the area. I have also seen improved antler growth from increased levels of P in this area.
We feed L&E protein on the ranch at Dilley for many years with very good results. I don't remember the P level but know it was not high in P.
Adios,
Gary

Gary as you are aware the South Texas Brush is very high in various minerals due in part to our soils. For that reason, proteins etc. for that area don't need to be.

Frio

Yes Sir, I was raised between Devine and Yancey and managed ranch in LaSalle County. Soils are definitely different in the Hill Country and out west. We sure don't have the great browse around here that we do down south. Were you raised around Frio Town?
Adios,
Gary

Thanks for the info and lead Gary. Let's see how they do on my place....

I think that the deer will really like them and getting the P that they need is so critical especially this time of the year and earlier. I checked on mine yesterday about 11:00 AM and noticed that the top of the blocks were wet, as they generally are. That tells me that they are getting a lot of traffic off and on during the day. I feel that consumption will be slowing down shortly but we may have to get a rain first. All the ranchers tell me that the cattle are really consuming a lot of mineral right now.
Adios,
Gary

This is the block that I have on the four acres that I have around the house on the west side of Menard. I know that I am feeding at least 20 whitetails and I am now seeing 5-6 axis does and fawns. I feel that I can safely say that I am feeding less than half of the mouths here than on the river. I didn't put it out when I did the others on the river, about a week later.
Notice how some of the critters are eating close to the ground. I first thought that it was some type of a rat or rodent but yesterday, I noticed the axis fawns feeding on the block at ground level. It has not rained on this block so this erosion cannot be blamed on the block melting from sitting on wet ground.
I am noticing that the top of this block is generally wet most everytime I check on it, similar to the two on the river.
Adios,
Gary

Woj,
Have you had a chance to check your blocks to see how deer are consuming?
Adios,
Gary

I will look at them this weekend and snap a couple pics. This weekend will mark the two week point.

Checked mine yesterday. Block on the west is almost half consumed and the one on the east is about 1/3 consumed. Does not appear that consumption is slowing much. Two days ago, three big axis bucks showed up that I had not seen before. I am wondering if the craving for P has helped lure them in there.
Adios,
Gary

After 13 days, inside feed pens (no hogs), all 5 look similar.

That's the way mine would look when feeding out on the larger ranches with deer density about one per 15-20 acres. Unfortunately, I am feeding extreme overpopulation around my house and on the river, close to a deer for every two acres and many are axis. A deer is like a hog it will only consume what it needs. Consumption should increase if it ever rains.
Adios,
Gary