KroonLek animal lick is the first product of its kind in South Africa. What makes this block exceptional is that the carefully formulated mixture consists of salt, molasses and diatomaceous earth. Animals can reap the benefits of each ingredient.
“The most important thing to understand with this lick, is that it forms part of regenerative agriculture,” Chris Kroon, owner of KroonLek, explains. “It is a natural substance that offers various advantages to livestock in a natural way without the drawback of building up resistance as is the case with chemical substances.
The beginning of KroonLek and the salt lick
The idea arose around a braai where Kallie Basson, Chris’ late business partner, heard about the benefits of diatomaceous earth. This immediately piqued his interest and he also told Chris about the interesting ingredient. “When you first start researching the wide applications of diatomaceous earth in agriculture, you come across thousands of articles that expand on how good it is for nature,” Chris explains.
“We spoke to several farmers to find out if they knew the product. Everyone said they knew it, but they struggled with it: the animals didn’t want to eat the powder.
“Farmers mix it with feed, but the animals aren’t eager to consume it. It is like fine sand,” he explains. “It is like trying to swallow a mouthful of sea sand.
“I then suggested we put it in a lick block.”
That is where the long process of research and product development began. Now, four years later, Chris proudly stands behind his product.
Both livestock and game enjoy the KroonLek 21 salt block.
KroonLek 21, the diatomaceous earth-rich salt block
It is no wonder that the KroonLek 21, the company’s flagship product, is attracting attention. The ingredient, diatomaceous earth, is a substance that consists of microscopic skeletons of diatoms, single-celled primordial algae. It is rich in silica and offers several health benefits, including:
- Detoxification
- Cleaning of the digestive tract
- Control of internal parasites
- Increase in mineral absorption
The food-grade diatomaceous earth is fine enough to digest and absorb. Because the diatoms have a porous texture that looks like sharp edges on a microscopic level, they move through the animal’s digestive system, and scrapes the outer layer of wax off the parasite’s body. The parasite then dehydrates as its body moisture is absorbed. The result is that the parasite later dies and is naturally excreted.
What gives diatomaceous earth its detoxification property is the substance’s negative charge.
Chris believes that although farmers and experts may be sceptical about the product, farmers will soon see the benefits for themselves. “You can test it yourself. Keep a few cattle aside and treat them in the same way as the rest of your herd. The only difference is that you offer the lick to one group.”
It takes a few weeks for the diatomaceous earth to build up and work optimally in the animals’ bodies. “The farmers know their animals; they will immediately notice the difference,” he declares.
The KroonLek 21 block is for all animals
Many farms are already using the KroonLek 21 block with good results.
“The animals are crazy about it,” Chris testifies. “When the block is put down, they are very curious at first and simply climb on top of each other to also get a taste. But once animals are used to the block, they will occasionally walk to the block to lick and enjoy it.
“This is what we were aiming for: that the animals, whether game or livestock, decide for themselves how much and when they eat the salt block.”
The animals on which the product has already been tested are:
- Sheep
- Goats
- Cattle across various growth stages
- Pigs
- Horses
- Big and small game, and
- Ostriches
To find out more about the KroonLek 21 salt block, visit the KroonLek website, or call Chris Kroon on (+27)83-632-7900. Alternatively, send an e-mail to chris@ck-projects.co.za to place your order.
