Do you supplement your sheep and goats? Do they have access to the nutrients they need each day? As someone who is personally involved in the small-ruminant industry, I have a firsthand understanding of the lack of good-quality, palatable supplements formulated specifically for sheep or goats.
Delivering more protein while keeping control: CrystalBlox is the best of both
During the summer months, one of my favorite treats is ice cream. A small soft-serve cone is perfect because the serving size is controlled. However, I cannot keep a container of ice cream in the freezer, since there is no controlling the serving size — I always eat “just a little more” until, suddenly, the whole container is gone.
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.
Late summer forage challenges
In his latest CRYSTALYX® blog, Jon Albro discussed how recent weather patterns in the central U.S. have been quite different than what might normally be anticipated at this time of year. Unexpected and abundant rainfall has been the norm in many parts of the country.
Whatever the weather, CRYSTALYX has a supplement program that fits
Our CRYSTALYX team got together several months ago to plan a list of blog topics for 2019. Not surprisingly, drought was my topic of choice for July. At the time, we agreed that the likelihood of dry conditions throughout various areas of the country would be high that month.
A Blueprint for fetal programming
Fetal and developmental programming have been big buzzwords for several years now. If you don’t know what they are, a quick Google search will take you to numerous articles, studies and blogs on the subject. Fetal programming, in short, is the theory that the maternal environment during gestation can have a lasting impact on the offspring.
Grazing management: Modifying cow movement
Grazing management is a collective term for managing even grazing in cattle for more efficient utilization of the forage available. Part of the practice of grazing management includes protecting and enhancing riparian areas and watershed to support wildlife and recreational uses of the land.
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.
Goodbye winter, hello heat stress: Tips on keeping cattle comfortable
While some areas of the country are still getting over the long-suffered winter weather conditions, other parts of the U.S. have warmed up to typical mid-spring temperatures. As I write this from my home in Virginia, we are expecting highs in the 80s for most of this week — which means that livestock here and in other parts of the South are already experiencing some form of heat stress.
CRYSTALYX in beef breeding programs and systems
Good breeding success in beef cattle programs can be hard to define. Jon Albro shares a few recent success stories he's seen with producers and explains how CRYSTALYX may fit into your breeding program.
