Testimonials

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Ontario, Canada Producer and Dealer Finds "Added Convenience" with the New CRYSTALYX^® BioBarrel^®

"The BioBarrel® makes an already easy to use product even easier. It's one more feature & benefit to provide." Doug Marriott, Brussels Agri Services

Doug Marriott, a cattle producer and feed consultant in Ontario, Canada, has been a long-time advocate for the use of CRYSTALYX^® brand supplements. In the fall of 2006, Ridley Block Operations, the manufacturers of CRYSTALYX^® and the new BioBarrel^® container asked Doug to evaluate the new BioBarrel^® container. Doug tried a few of the barrels with his own cattle.

"We evaluated how the cattle would consume product in this container versus the steel, and just what the best applications will be."

The BioBarrel^® is a biodegradable container made from wheat straw and soy starch (flour). The container walls or sides simply break down as the product inside is consumed. When the product is gone, the container is too.

"We had no waste with the BioBarrel^®, the same as CRYSTALYX^® products in the steel barrels. But with the BioBarrel^® you have yet an added convenience, no empty barrel to discard. The grass quality was poor when we used the BioBarrel^® and consumption of the supplement was the same as what is typically seen using CRYSTALYX^® in the steel barrels on the same type of grass."

Doug sees the BioBarrel^® container as a good pasture supplementation option for stocker operators and cow-calf producers in summer and fall. "Some of these customers are absentee owners and they like supplements that are easy to use. CRYSTALYX^® is an excellent way to supplement late season forages, and the BioBarrel^® should work well because there are no empty containers to collect.  It's one more feature and benefit to provide."

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Crystalyx^® Helps a Three-Generation Hereford Operation Thrive

Registered Hereford cattle are a family tradition for Jim, Fred and Wayne Helbling. The horned red and white stock has grazed their pastures southwest of Mandan, North Dakota for 75 years. Their grandfather, Peter V. Helbling, recognized the benefits of the Hereford breed and began the family seed stock business in the 1930s. Their father Matt and his wife Christine started their own operation in 1945. Today the family partnership owns and manages a 400-head Line 1-based herd.

Helbling Herefords began using CRYSTALYX^® products more than twenty years ago during drought conditions. Supplementation helped to support grass conditions and maintain herd health. At the time 12% CRYSTALYX^® was available, and later 20% was introduced. Now CRYSTALYX^® BGF 30 is the standard, and has been well received because of less consumption at a lower cost per head to gain the same results.

Fred Hebling

"We generally use CRYSTALYX^® to supplement late summer and fall grazing," Fred Helbling said. "An added bonus is grass management and herd health." Customer service representative Jim Roshau suggested using CRYSTALYX^® for grass rotation as well as late summer grazing. That has meant that the Helblings have been able to move cows to less traveled area of their units.

"When using CRYSTALYX^® we have noticed less pulls or treats on both yearlings and cow/calf pairs," Fred said. "The key is consumption; CRYSTALYX^® is easy to manage and has a great fit for grass rotation. The cattle always find the barrels."

"We would not hesitate to recommend CRYSTALYX^® to any cattlemen. We intend on using CRYSTALYX^® for years to come. The staff is a pleasure to work with. Customer service and product knowledge are second to none."

Helbling Herefords was asked to participate in a new product demonstration for the CRYSTALYX^® BioBarrel^®. They placed four BioBarrels^® containing BGF 30 in a 35 head cow/calf unit in the fall of 2006.

"The barrels were not placed in a common area as we wanted to move the cattle like we had all summer to different location to help utilize the grass," Fred said. "The cows readily found the barrels at the new locations."

After 22 days the product was all but gone. The consumption for the period was measured at one pound per cow/calf pair.

"We like the BioBarrels^® for pasture use for several reasons," Fred said. "They're "cowboy friendly," there are no empties to pick up, we are getting the same quality product and the same results, and it's environmentally safe."

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Field Tested and Producer Approved

Joel Flesher has been a year-round CRYSTALYX^® user for over three years. And that experience made the Angus producer from Ridgeville, Indiana, a logical choice to evaluate the performance of the new CRYSTALYX^® BioBarrel^® container.

Joel Flesher of Ridgeville, IN with comments on the new CRYSTALYX® BioBarrel® Single Trip Container™

Flesher has used CRYSTALYX^® BGF-30™ for his cow herd and likes what it has done. “We’ve seen this product help keep the cows in good shape,” he said. “It’s easy to use and the consumption is always consistent.” Joel agreed to try BGF-30™ packaged in the BioBarrel^® during the summer of 2006. He kept track of consumption as well as the biodegradability of the containers and overall feeding characteristics. “The BioBarrel^® container worked well for us,” he said. “During the period of use we had over three-inches of rain. Water didn’t collect on the top of the product, because the sides of the BioBarrel^® wore down evenly as the product was consumed.”

Joel noted that as the containers got very wet in the rain the sides did degrade a little faster. That is a normal degradation rate and it did not affect consumption, which remained consistent.

CRYSTALYX^® steel barrels in combination with BioBarrels^® will be used in Joel’s operation in the future.

“We would probably continue to use the steel barrels in the winter and the BioBarrel^® in the summer on pasture,” he said. “We could also use the BioBarrel^® containers in the barnyard in the winter if we place them in protected areas.”

The new CRYSTALYX^® BioBarrel^® provides extra convenience for producers who like the flexibility of a true Single Trip Container™ that eliminates the need to retrieve and dispose of used containers. Joel Flesher is a customer of Stone Station Elevator in Winchester, Indiana.

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Wisconsin Producer has a “Field Day” with BioBarrel^®

Steve Rortvedt of Plymouth, WI

Gary Groves and Jon Albro discuss Crystalyx® BioBarrel® performance with Brad and Steve Rortvedt.

A demonstration of the new BioBarrel^® convinced a Wisconsin producer of the advantages and flexibility the container offered.

Steve Rortvedt has a beef operation near Plymouth, Wisconsin. He’s been supplementing with CRYSTALYX^® for a long time.

“I’ve fed CRYSTALYX^® for nearly ten years,” Steve said. “And I’ve had excellent re-breeding with my cows. We especially like to use it with lower quality forages. Cow performance is very good and we now use it with all our cattle, cows, calves and heifers.”

Steve was the first producer in his state to try the BioBarrel^®, and he liked what he saw, especially the additional management benefits.

“It’s just convenient,” he said. “I don’t have to deal with returning or disposing of empty containers. It’s also easy to watch the BioBarrel^® as it disappears during consumption.

I can see, from a distance, how much product is left and know when it’s time to put out the next barrel. And the consumption of CRYSTALYX^® in the BioBarrel^® isn’t any different that in the steel barrel.”

The success of the trial convinced Steve to continue to use the BioBarrel^® on pasture. He says he’ll still use the steel barrels in confinement or in extreme muddy situations.

Steve is a believer in CRYSTALYX^® because of what it has done for his cowherd. The BioBarrel’s^® convenience and consistent consumption rates has given him another advantage, one he recommends to other producers.

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Minnesota Cow-Calf Operation Discovers the Convenience of BioBarrel^®

For more than two years Brian and Janet Brockberg of Pipestone, Minnesota, have been supplementing their beef cow-calf operation with CRYSTALYX^® products. BGF-30™ is the mainstay for the beef cow herd, while Brigade^® is used for calves at weaning and cows near calving, and Crystal-Phos^®, is the mineral supplement program.

Late in the summer of 2006 the Brockberg’s put a new barrel in their pastures, a BioBarrel^® with BGF-30™ in the new, Single Trip Container (STC^®).

“The BioBarrel^® sure is easy to use,” Brian said. “It’s convenient because we have to place BGF-30™ in six different pastures. We still like the steel barrels and will continue to use them in the winter, but the BioBarrel^® makes a lot of sense for us in the summer months.”

Consistent consumption wasn’t an issue, as the BGF-30™ in the BioBarrel^® was consumed at ¾ pound per-head, per-day. The same level of consumption as the rate for steel barrels.

“CRYSTALYX^® has been a good supplement,” Brian said. “It has worked better for us than past supplement programs. We have an effective year-round program, starting with Brigade^® 45 days prior to calving. We use Crystal-Phos^® in the spring through to late summer when we switch to BGF-30™ through winter until pre-calving.

“Cattle seem to more satisfied, less hungry and less anxious at feeding times when we use CRYSTALYX^®. We noticed the change right after we started using it, because the cows cleaned better after calving and the calves were more vigorous. Healthy calves are the most important part of the equation.”

The Brockbergs buy their CRYSTALYX^® from the Luverne Farm Store in Luverne, Minnesota, where Kurt Elbers says he has witnessed a lot of success with many local producers who have CRYSTALYX^® programs similar to the Brockbergs.

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Convenience and Labor Savings have Producer Sold on BioBarrel^®.

Maynard Hebl of Iowa City, Iowa

CRYSTALYX^® is an essential part of Maynard Hebl’s livestock nutrition program. Maynard runs 110 Angus-Hereford cross cows on his Iowa City, Iowa operation. He supplements with BGF-30™ from the first of January through calving. He reports that at pregnancy check there is usually no more than ten open cows out of the 110. That’s a 91% conception rate.

Maynard gave the BioBarrel^® a try when he supplemented with BGF-30™. He found that it saved him time, and money.

“Labor is at a premium at times and not having to gather up the steel barrels and returning them to the plant is worth the extra cost of the BioBarrel^®.”

And when the BioBarrel^® disappears, so does another problem Maynard had with the steel barrels.
“When I put the steel barrels out, my tractor will eventually find one while I’m haying. I have a damaged barrel that I can’t return for a refund. I’ll use the BioBarrel^® instead of steel when I supplement with BGF-30™.