All animals, humans included, require both sodium and chloride for life and health. While developed countries dedicate most of their salt to chemical production, developing countries often use most of their salt for human and animal nutrition. Livestock, poultry and other animals do not always receive adequate amounts of sodium and chloride from forages and other feeds. They need supplemental salt as part of a nutritionally balanced diet to remain healthy, disease free, and to achieve optimum growth and reproduction rates. Salt can be mixed with feed or fed free-choice, and is an excellent carrier for trace minerals, It is produced plain or as trace mineralized salt, in 50 lb blocks, smaller spools, and as loose salt, commonly known as mixing salt.
Salt is the most effective, readily available, and economical highway deicer in use today.
It assures winter driving safety and continued mobility in snowbelt states, even under the most adverse snow and icing conditions. Rock salt and solar salt are used on U.S. highways. In Europe, because of its availability, evaporated salt is sometimes used. As the temperature falls, it takes more salt and more time to melt ice because a higher concentration of brine is required. Fortunately, most snowstorms occur when the temperature is near freezing, where salt is very effective.