It’s the time of year we see more attention to the topic of good fly control whether it be from advertising, producer meeting and seminar topics, blogs such as this, and others. CRYSTALYX^® has a variety of supplement formulas that deliver three different feed through fly control additives, Rabon^® Oral Larvicide, Altosid^® (IGR), and ClariFly^®. They all work well but have some different applications depending on fly control strategies.  Still, no matter the fly control compound being delivered, CRYSTALYX^® is a convenient and effective way to combine fly control with a self-fed supplement all in one package.

ROLYX^® PRO Mag / ROLYX^® Max / IGR Pro™ / IGR MAX^®™ /and Mineral-Lyx^® with Clarifly^®

Rabon^® Oral Larvicide, works by killing fly larvae in the manure, thus breaking the fly life cycle in the larvae stage after eggs that are laid hatch in manure.  Rabon^® is labeled for the control of the horn, face, house and Stable fly.  Rabon^® is the feed through compound used in CRYSTALYX^® ROLYX^® Pro Mag and ROLYX^® Max.

Altosid^® (IGR) is an insect growth regulator that also works in cattle manure by preventing fly pupae from further developing into an adult fly.  It too stops the fly life cycle.  Altosid^® is labeled for only the horn fly.  Another more recently available compound is ClariFly^®, that works as a larvicide to kill fly larvae in manure.  ClariFly^® does control the horn, face, stable and house fly. 

Horn flies cause the greatest amount of economic damage to the beef industry but face and stable flies are problematic as well.  No matter which compound is used, the horn fly is being addressed.

Do I need Max or Pro? What about the newer product, Mineral-Lyx^® with Clarifly^®?

Max and Pro can be thought of as a CRYSTALYX^® fly control supplement delivering primarily mineral or protein respectively.  If the word “Max” is in the name, as with IGR or ROLYX^® Max, these are fully fortified mineral supplements and work as the fly control and mineral program all in one. CRYSTALYX^® fly control products that have “Pro” in their name, like IGR Pro and ROLYX^® Pro Mag are formulas that contain 18% protein.  These supplements fit situations where forage conditions in the pasture are lower in quality, such as in late season mature pastures or in drought conditions.  The Pro products are also formulated for more intake; therefore, the concentration of fly control compound is a bit lower.  All these products above work excellent as a high quality mineral program and contain BioPlex^® organic trace minerals.  It makes sense to have a high quality mineral program in combination with fly control because fly season and breeding season coincide in most beef operations.

Last year we introduced another option, CRYSTALYX^® Mineral-Lyx^® with ClariFly^®.  This is the same formula as our age-old standby by product, Mineral-Lyx^®, just with ClariFy^® added.  This product is formulated for higher intake than would be its IGR MAX^® and ROLYX^® Max cousins discussed above.

So, which are the most economical?

Overall, each CRYSTALYX^® fly control product has a purpose to deliver a feed through fly control compound consistently, something that is necessary in a feed through program.  Feed through programs are only as good as the delivery mechanism getting them into the cow.   Intake means everything, not only for performance but also for cost.  Most of the time, a supplement providing protein is going to cost more per head per day to feed than a mineral alone.  The fly control portion in CRYSTALYX^® cost from 5-10¢ per day, again this depends on the size of animal, dosage and intake.  The table below lists the intake needed in each CRYSTALYX^® supplement to deliver the required dose of fly control compound for 1000 lbs. and 1500 lbs. of cow bodyweight.

Always be sure to understand the intake needed in your herd to get effective fly control. As the summer progresses, calves get bigger and can consume considerable amounts of supplement too. This will make the overall intake needed be higher. Often, mineral programs and especially feed through fly control programs get compromised because intake is too low. Know ahead of time what product you need and how much of it should be consumed and offer it continuously. None of the above compounds offered in any supplement will work well if allowed to run out, even if for just a few days. These compounds work in manure and must be in the manure. Every day that supplement is not consumed, is a day that the fly control compound is not in the manure.

Remember that any fly control program is best when combined with other control measures such as adulticide sprays, oilers, sanitation, fly tags, etc. There is no such thing as 100% fly control or as some may wish, eradication. Only mother nature can do that with the change of the seasons.  The main thing to remember is to have good control and keep fly control populations at a managed level below detrimental economical thresholds. CRYSTALYX^® Fly Control can achieve this!