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.
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.
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.”
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.
A new formulation for CRYSTALYX Iono-lyx
A little less than 16 years ago, CRYSTALYX introduced the first and only low-moisture block that contained an ionophore, in the form of BOVATEC®. This was the result of several years of working with the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration (CVM-FDA). The exact claim on the label reads:
Feeding this year’s hay crop: How rain can affect hay quality
Many of us are currently enjoying one of the rainiest summers in recent memory. We all know this weather could change in a hurry, but at the moment, hay and forage production are plentiful in many regions. While the quality of this hay may not always be the best due to frequent rains (more on this later), the yield is there.
CRYSTALYX options for your summer mineral program
I once wrote a blog asking if your supplement could multi-task. While the intent of this blog is similar, it will specifically focus on the summer ahead. For many cattle producers, summer coincides with the breeding season. CRYSTALYX offers more than 15 different mineral products that (with the exception of CRYSTALYX Mineral-lyx) all contain organic trace minerals, which have been shown to increase conception rates in beef cattle.
Cow-calf profitability by the numbers
These days, we often see popular news segments describing topics “by the numbers.” Let’s see if we can apply this “by-the-numbers” format to some important aspects of cow-calf profitability.
