Many beef cow producers have experienced ample moisture this summer, and their pasture conditions and availability are likely very good to excellent. Unfortunately, others have experienced drought conditions, with pastures drying up and forage supplies diminished. This summer has truly provided a tale of two pastures throughout the U.S. and Canada.
CRYSTALYX summer minerals: Which one suits your needs?
With summer finally upon us, and for those of you with spring calving herds, you are now building your 2019 calf crop. Hopefully, you have been using a good-quality mineral on your herd prior to breeding season. But if you haven’t, it is not too late to start a summer mineral program and reap the benefits from a higher level of nutrition.
Proper CRYSTALYX management yields increased benefits
I have recently spoken with several ranchers who have had questions on the limitations of CRYSTALYX®. Naturally, everything has its limits, whether it be your best friend, a faithful dog, a good cow or even a CRYSTALYX barrel. What I’m getting at is that it’s good to understand both how and why CRYSTALYX is to be fed, and the best way to manage it. Following some basic rules will help this supplement to perform at its best.
Take care of your cows and they will take care of you
Fetal programming, also known as “developmental programming,” has been a hot topic for a number of years now. When we consider fetal programming from a nutritional perspective, we think of the lasting impacts gestational maternal nutrition has on calves. I have often heard farmers and ranchers say, “If you take care of your cows, they will take care of you,” and this certainly rings true.
Choosing the right phosphorus supplement
Phosphorus has a long, winding history of use in livestock supplements. For a while, nearly all summer supplements were very high in phosphorus, and for good reason. Phosphorus plays a significant role in reproductive efficiency and growth, and it’s generally the most prevalent mineral deficiency in grazing livestock. Still, the question remains: How much phosphorus do we need to provide?
Innovation in cattle mineral delivery
One of our core business values is a commitment to innovation. This sets CRYSTALYX® and Alltech apart from other providers of self-fed supplements. Innovators will challenge the status quo by offering new concepts and new solutions to both old and emerging challenges faced by livestock producers. Some naysayers may consider change to be unnecessary and expensive, while others will rush to offer “me too” products.
Modernizing your cow-herd mineral program
Spring calving is in full swing, has just wrapped up or will soon be behind us. In an effort to keep thinking multiple steps ahead, one should be giving their cow-herd’s spring/summer mineral program some thought now to determine what can be done to help maintain optimal cow reproduction with early breed back rates while still maximizing calf health and growth performance.
What is calving distribution?
With bulls entering breeding pastures in the weeks ahead, cattlemen can easily understand the impact of a good overall herd conception rate on their bottom line. However, another reproductive measurement that can directly affect ranch profitability is calving distribution.
KY-31 fescue: Not the cattleman’s dream forage
In many parts of the Southeast and southern Midwest U.S., Kentucky 31 (KY-31) Tall Fescue is the primary forage used for grazing cattle, representing over 35 million acres of grazing land. While it has many attractive agronomic characteristics, including hardiness under varied climactic conditions, persistence under heavy animal pressure, tolerance to close grazing and resistance to insect pressure, there are several negative nutritional characteristics that impact cattle.
Understanding your CRYSTALYX fly control supplement
This time of year, we get a lot of inquiries and opportunities to position feed through fly control programs. It’s important to know the differences between fly control options, product intake, additive concentration and true cost per head per day. Our CRYSTALYX® line has a wide array of fly control products to choose from, representing three different compounds that are available in the U.S.
