To tell you the truth, I've never used the Cattlemens Blend -- haven't seen it offered hee. I used to try and be a small time distributer for Vita-Ferm years ago, but got rifted out because I couldn't maintain thier mandated 8 ton per month quota. Doesn't matter though, I will never use anything else either way.
Cow Calf 5 is mixed to be VERY palatable for early calves, has a little higher protien init for growing younger cattle, but the cow will do very well on it as it is about the 10 and 12 Cal-Phos mix we all grew up thinking was the best. Today they don't always feel that they need that much Phos.
CC-% is a very good palatable mix -- has salt in it too already -- and the calves go right to it early. Ever since I made sure to offer this along side the Con-Cept Aid early -- I noticed my calves never did stand and eat dirt like I used to notice them do. I always felt this was due to having an onging irritation in thier young stomachs -- calves are by thier very nature prone for mild acidosis all the time until they start to eat sold food. MIlk may be very mild in it's raw form, but once you ferment that stuff, it turns into white acid. Ever see a bunch of dairy calves on bottles?? Wonder why they always had most of thier hair gone around their rear ends?? Until they get on solid feed, they were always borderline acidotic -- ate the hair right off them. Beef calves are no diferent until they get to eating hay or grass along side mom, and the CC-5 has enough buffer in it to help prevent alot of the acidosis we see in these caves. Instead of eatin sand and dirt to ease the irritation, they eat the CC-5 -- BRILLIANT !! heeehe PLUS -- and here is the real benefit as far as I am concerned -- if you can stop them from eating dirt early on -- you will have ALOT less problems with Clostridiums Perfringens infections. C-D will be and is a killer -- they pick it up in the dirt they eat to prevent thier stomachs from being irritated. There ya go!!!
That's my take on Vita-Ferm Minerals and thier benefits -- a true complete cow herd formula for all stages and all ages!
Best of luck to every one -- spring is close -- I can FEEL it!
Terry
Some places will carry all the formula variations, others won't.