The history of CRYSTALYX low-moisture blocks goes back more than 44 years, to a patent originally obtained by Carl O. McKenzie. Legend has it that he got the idea while observing how hard candy was made at Knott’s Berry Farm. The patent was submitted in 1974 and was approved on June 1, 1976. This patent describes the batch process by which we still make CRYSTALYX today.
Don’t miss out on time-saving innovations: Biodegradable BioBarrel container
As we look across any industry, or even life in general, we see many new inventions that save time or that allow us to do more with our existing time. Smartphones, video conferencing, online shopping and home delivery all allow us to do more with less time.
Performance is served: Why there’s no better barrel
At CRYSTALYX, we are excited to be launching a new campaign, “Performance is Served.” This campaign describes not only our CRYSTALYX brand but also the positive results customers can expect — and here’s why.
Making smart decisions in dry conditions: Tips for cattle producers during drought
If you are in the western half of the United States, the northeast or, really, in many of the areas in between, it probably comes as no surprise to you that the U.S. drought monitor map currently features a lot of undesirable colors.
Considerations for retained ownership post-weaning
We often hear about the pros and cons of retaining ownership of your calves post-weaning. I googled it and got 1.5 million hits, so it is definitely a popular subject. Much of the debate revolves around spreading out your marketing risk or creating more marketing options, getting paid more for the better genetics that you purchase and getting carcass data back to help you make better genetic pairings and selections.
3 reasons you may consider early weaning
The time in which calves are weaned is typically based on their age or weight or because “that is when it has always been done.” While the majority of cattle producers in the U.S. and Canada wean calves at around 205 days of age, or 7 months, situations may arise in which weaning calves early may be beneficial for the condition of the cowherd, the pasture or forage availability and marketing opportunities.
A summer mineral program for stockers using CRYSTALYX Iono-lyx
I believe everyone is ready to put the winter and spring of 2020 behind us. We now see green grass everywhere and we are waiting for the economy to reboot. Hopefully, beef demand, consumption, exports and slaughter capacity will get back to whatever we once thought was “normal.”
Shortening the calving interval
For many spring-calving herds, we are in the midst of the calving season. Some may be wrapping up, while others may just be beginning these potentially sleepless nights. While this is an important time to monitor cows and make sure calves get the ample colostrum they need to remain healthy, now is also the time to be thinking about future calving seasons.
Seasons change: Spring grasses and grass tetany risk
With the NFL football season now over, some of us look forward to the Major League baseball season in April. Maybe some of you are watching the XFL football games at present, but there is one more season that is about to start soon. While perhaps not as exciting as the aforementioned sporting events, grass tetany season can certainly be more impactful on your profitability as a cow-calf producer.
How self-fed supplements increase both cattle and producer efficiency
We have often written about the delivery costs of hand-fed supplements adding greatly to the total cost of a supplement program. Yet, many times those delivery costs do not get figured into the cost of the supplement.
