On the Blog

Water: The cornerstone nutrient

Water is one of those things that we’re never really satisfied with. There is either too much, too little or it doesn’t come at the right time. Or it’s too expensive, tastes funny, is too hot — the list goes on and on. Still, we tend to take for granted that, when we open the tap, it will be there. Water is essential to life, yet we rarely discuss it in relation to nutrition.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.  

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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.

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