Purchasing Feed: Straights, blends or compounds?

Blends are likely to be the sensible mid-range option. It’s just one product, so easier to store and mix into the herd’s diet. While more expensive than straights, time and manual labour are saved over purchasing straights, and a consistent mineral and nutrient composition is more guaranteed than it is when mixing manually.

Compounds are perhaps the ideal choice, although naturally this comes with a higher expense. Offering all the benefits of a blend, compounds contain all the minerals and nutrients within a single nut. This is easier to store and reduces the ability of cattle to selectively eat more palatable ingredients.