[Simonson82]

Anyone made their own salt licks before?
Crystalix in my farmers co op are over £30 a bucket. It's beyond a joke

[twizzel]

Crystalyx and salt licks are 2 different things. If you want salt- try Himalayan rock salt, normally £9-10 for 25kg bag. If you want crystalyx for energy- if you have a downland supplier near you, their optilix energy buckets are pretty much the same thing, about £20-22 a tub.

[Simonson82]

Sorry, should have been a bit more clear. Has anyone made their own mineral lick.

[Womble]

Yes, but there was a lot of tequila involved  .

[Fleecewife]

I think plenty of people will have made some sort of vitamin and energy supplement for their sheep, the real question is: was it any good? My neighbour, the one who is no longer allowed to keep sheep, used to buy raw molasses for his sheep. I don't know if he added anything to it.  I have a feeling that the carefully researched and produced 'licky buckets' available at every agri supplier will work out cheaper and better for the animals in the long run than messing about with DIY

[harmony]

Do they need one? We are sold all these things by those making money out of them. It's even worse in the equestrian world. At a recent vets evening the vet suggested blood samples as the best way to know, that drenches were a waste of money, boluses gave the best supplement and anything in a bucket was designed to attract sheep to eat it.


Food for thought?

[harmony]

I think plenty of people will have made some sort of vitamin and energy supplement for their sheep, the real question is: was it any good? My neighbour, the one who is no longer allowed to keep sheep, used to buy raw molasses for his sheep. I don't know if he added anything to it.  I have a feeling that the carefully researched and produced 'licky buckets' available at every agri supplier will work out cheaper and better for the animals in the long run than messing about with DIY

Molasses was popular here on the fells at one time. One farmer I know still uses it in the lambing shed. Molasses is commonly used in feeds as it is attractive to animals. It certainly makes for sheep with sticky faces and in the shed sticky all over when they wipe it on each other. 

[Womble]

I have a bottle of molasses here which I add to hard feed as a pick me up when needed.

Some sheep (even well ones) really don't seem to like it, but others go mad for it.

[Fleecewife]

I think plenty of people will have made some sort of vitamin and energy supplement for their sheep, the real question is: was it any good? My neighbour, the one who is no longer allowed to keep sheep, used to buy raw molasses for his sheep. I don't know if he added anything to it.  I have a feeling that the carefully researched and produced 'licky buckets' available at every agri supplier will work out cheaper and better for the animals in the long run than messing about with DIY

Molasses was popular here on the fells at one time. One farmer I know still uses it in the lambing shed. Molasses is commonly used in feeds as it is attractive to animals. It certainly makes for sheep with sticky faces and in the shed sticky all over when they wipe it on each other. 

Doesn't it just, and wrecks the fleeces for spinning etc