I used to supply them to David; post Brexit they became vastly more expensive to import ( from Amersfoort in the. Netherlands, where they were made, to the U.K. but via Eire for some unknown reason!) A very interesting story of improved deer health lies behind how he became agent in midlands for these.
Several- rock salt blocks aren’t made to the same standards as KNZ’s vacuum salt blocks, which had very precise amounts of specific compounds of trace elements in a form which was readily digestible and did not clash with or cancel the properties of one or another. Rocksalt mineral blocks typically held ‘estimates’ of this or that trace element, mostly too little and more often than not at the incorrect/inconsequential levels; KNZ Vilt blocks were designed from the ground up with trace element content to maximise conversion of natural forage for overall health.
Professor Bo Lagergren at Akzo Nobel ( parent company) developed these blocks, I had the pleasure of meeting with him a d discussing several aspects of the chemistry of the blocks and the biological requirements of deer, and securing a contract to distribute his excellent product some twenty years ago. Fun fact - his hunting pal took what was for many years the World record roebuck trophy on the ‘informal trial ground’ during his development phase leading to the eventual recipe they were produced to.
A leading rock salt blocks typically held manufacturer approached Prof Lagergren to try to address various physical and chemical shortcomings of their product, but as we say, ‘you can’t make honey from hen poo’ …
Our Monarch’s stalker still uses these blocks on Bachnagairn, His private beat of Balmoral - you
may assume they have been thoroughly ‘vetted’.
I won’t bore you with more details, but they were consistently awarded ‘best block’ in extensive tests made by leading German hunting Journals (plural) which looked at the entire range of blocks available across Europe.
