SEARCH

Beef producers are always looking for ways to improve efficiency among their cow herd. Increased intake and improved digestibility are key, and CRYSTALYX^® has found a way to do both. A newly released research study shows that CRYSTALYX^® Tasco^® 35-CP can improve fiber and organic matter digestibility when consuming low-quality pasture or harvested forages.

10% Increase in Forage Digestibility

Prior research has shown that supplementing with CRYSTALYX® can achieve a 10% increase in low-quality forage intake. New research shows that when supplementing with Tasco^® 35-CP, you can increase digestibility of low-quality forages. The North Dakota State University research showed an improvement of 10% in fiber and organic matter digestibility when Tasco® is combined with a CRYSTALYX^® 35% protein supplement. The study compared CRYSTALYX^® Tasco^® 35-CP with a control block, no block and Amaferm in block and bolus form.

Tasco^® 35-CP from CRYSTALYX^® combines the power of protein (increased intake) and Tasco^® (increased digestibility). The result is even better utilization of low-quality forages. Tasco^® 35-CP helps improve the substantial benefits of CRYSTALYX^® protein delivery by extracting more energy and nutrients from the forage in addition to increasing forage intake.

The economic advantages of a 10% increase in digestibility can be significant, as the chart demonstrates.

The Fescue Advantage
Beyond improved forage utilization, Tasco^® has also demonstrated improved temperature regulation for cattle consuming endophyte-infected fescue forage. A study at Mississippi State University showed that cow/calf pairs had lower body temperatures and lower respiration rates when Tasco^® was included in the supplement mix.

Managing around the continuing drought in the West calls for a fine balance between spending money on supplemental feed and starving a living out of your cows and calves. Try these suggestions:

Supplement effectively. Key to holding the line on costs during drought supplementation is your ability to extract all usable energy from the grazing that remains:

• Provide a protein supplement like CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture blocks to improve the digestibility of low-quality forage and increase the amount of critical energy cows can extract from it. Supplement a blend of ruminally degradable protein and bypass protein that will both maximize rumen microbial fermentation efficiencies for digesting low-quality forages and improve protein status of the cow. Conserving protein tissues are important because they are the metabolically active tissues and organs of your reproductive cowherd. Cows in this stage of negative energy balance will have major difficulty producing healthy calves, milking sufficiently and rebreeding on time.

• Provide the same levels of trace minerals as during normal seasons, with particular attention to sufficient phosphorus consumption.

• Supplement Vitamin A, which can be deficient in forages harvested during and after drought.

• Position low-moisture blocks in strategic locations to help draw cattle away from traditional loafing areas and into areas that may be underutilized. Research shows they can be a more powerful draw than even water.

• Use a supplement that controls consumption physically, rather than by using salt. Salt only increases cattles’ requirements for clean, fresh water that usually is compromised and restricted during periods of drought. Physical consumption control using low moisture blocks permits you to continue to take advantage of freechoice supplementation without further increasing the cost of labor and fence-walking in anticipation of scheduled deliveries.

• If you’re already feeding forages, limit grazing. Pulling animals off drought-stressed range permits grass to rebound if, and when moisture returns.

• Cull conservatively, if possible. Preg check early and ship non-producers first. Unless you’re scaling back the operation, heavy culling into quality breeding animals is the last resort. This is where performance testing pays off in prioritizing culling decisions.

• Wean early, especially for your fall calving cows. Be mindful of the management challenges: Early weaned light-weight calves will be even more vulnerable to the normal stresses of weaning, drylot acclimation, environmental challenges and processing.

Quick Summary

• Effective drought management requires you to supplement effectively—to extract the most usable nutrition from the available forage supply.

SUPPLEMENT STRATEGIES IN ACTION

In southeastern Colorado, Bill Riggins’ fourth summer of drought has left him long on country but short on grass. His strategy to hold things together includes leaving CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture blocks out for cows all summer.

“Some people might think that was cost prohibitive,” says Riggins, who has now cut his cowherd by more than half.

“But you can’t sell the roof off the house and still expect to live in it. Our only hope for maintaining these cows on what little dry grass and oak brush they’re left with is to give them some supplement that helps get some good out of it.…

“Between the drought and cattle prices, our deal hasn’t been real lucrative the last couple years. But we have very few open cows at fall pregnancy test. We have very few problems at calving. If we do that again this summer on what little grass we’ve got, I’m going to feel pretty strongly the blocks had something to do with it.”

Results by the Barrel^TM
CRYSTALYX^® Brand BGF-30™ Supplement helps stretch a drought-limited forage base, by providing:

• Balances both rumen-available and bypass protein help to improve forage utilization, extract more energy from available forage and provide additional protein that is directly available to your cattle.

• CRYSTALYX^® Brigade^® Stress Fighting Formula in the first 30 days of receiving provides calves:

• A highly palatable supplement that assists calves with starting on feed

• Electrolytes, to help ward-off dehydration and maintain proper immune function

• High levels of key vitamins and organic trace minerals

• An early nutrient boost to beat the stresses of weaning

The continuing drought in parts of the country makes it necessary for producers to adjust their feeding strategies. A combination of effective supplementation and forage consumption management can make a significant economic difference. Try these suggestions:

• Supplement effectively. The key to holding the line on costs during drought supplementation is enabling your cattle to extract all the usable energy from the grazing that is still available.

– A protein supplement like CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture blocks will improve the digestibility of low-quality forage. It will also increase the amount of critical energy cows can extract from the forage. A blend of ruminally degradable protein and bypass protein will maximize rumen microbial fermentation efficiencies for digesting low-quality forages. This blend will also improve the protein status of the cow.

– Conserving protein tissues is important because they are metabolically active tissues and organs in your reproductive cows. Cows in a stage of negative energy balance will have great difficulty producing healthy calves, milking sufficiently, and rebreeding on time.

– Provide the same levels of trace minerals as you would during a normal season. It is especially important to encourage sufficient phosphorous consumption.

– Supplement vitamin A, which can be deficient in forages harvested during and after drought.

– Position low-moisture blocks in strategic locations. The blocks will help draw cattle away from traditional loafing areas and into areas that may be underutilized. Research shows CRYSTALYX^® can be an even more powerful draw than water.

• Control supplement consumption physically, rather than with salt. Salt only increases requirements for clean, fresh water, and that is usually compromised and restricted during periods of drought. Physical consumption control through low-moisture blocks allows you to continue to take advantage of free-choice  supplementation without further increasing the cost of labor and fence-walking in anticipation of scheduled deliveries.

• Limit grazing if you’re already feeding forages. Pulling animals off drought-stressed range allows grass to rebound when moisture returns.

• Cull conservatively. Pregnancy check early and ship non-producers first. Unless you’re scaling back the operation, heavy culling into quality breeding animals  should be the last resort. Performance testing pays off when trying to make the right culling decisions.

• Wean early, especially your fall calving cows. This presents a management challenge: Early weaned, lightweight calves will be even more vulnerable to the normal stresses of weaning, drylot acclimation, environmental changes and processing.

SUPPLEMENT STRATEGIES AT WORK

Bill Riggins’ fourth summer of drought has left him long on country and short on grass. He has cut his cowherd in half this summer. His strategy to hold things together at his ranch in southeastern Colorado includes leaving CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture blocks out for his cows all summer.

“Some people might think that is cost-prohibitive,” Riggins says. “But you can’t sell the roof off your house and still expect to live in it. Our only hope for maintaining these cows on what little dry grass and oak brush left is to give them some supplemental nutrition that helps get some good out of it...”

“Between the drought and cattle prices, our deal hasn’t been real lucrative the last couple of years. But we have very few open cows at fall pregnancy test. We have very few problems at calving. If we do that again this summer on what little grass we have, I’m going to feel pretty strongly that the blocks had something to do with it.”

Good pasture management is important in today’s environment where margins are often thinner than a light jacket in a Wyoming winter wind. Grazing that’s equally spread over an entire pasture can be the ultimate difference between whether marginal cattle perform, or whether costly supplemental forage and cake are needed to get cows through a winter or drought. Studies by Montana State University indicate that strategically placed low-moisture blocks can attract cattle to grass they may normally ignore, while providing a balanced mineral, crude protein and vitamin package to boost performance.

Of course there are many ways of managing pasture. Fencing can be used to prevent cattle from grazing riparian areas and sensitive rangeland and keep livestock in areas where grazing is desired. But many producers don’t like the labor hours and costs involved in fence building and maintenance in rugged or extensive rangeland. Placement of supplemental forage in these types of pasture will attract cattle in the fall and winter. But more often than not they’ll shun native grass for the hay. Feed supplements can be used to lure cattle to underutilized sections of rugged or extensive rangeland. However, it is often difficult to control intake of some pressed or chemical blocks, which can break off in chunks when visited by a hungry heifer or other animals. A 10-day supply may be gone in two.

Dr. Derek W. Bailey, beef cattle researcher for the MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center at Havre, Mont., has studied various range management techniques over the years. Studies in late 1998 examined how frequently cattle graze all segments of a pasture in the fall when a cooked molasses supplement was placed throughout the pasture. The supplement, Crystalyx,^® is manufactured by Hubbard Feeds, Inc., and available in 250-lb. reusable barrels. Each barrel consistently supplies two-weeks of controlled intake for 20 to 25 cattle.

“Our 1998 studies found that placing the supplement in underutilized rangeland is an effective tool to improve cattle grazing distribution in the fall,” says Bailey. This most recent research took place on two separate ranches in northern Montana foothills. Results were similar to, or more convincing, than 1997 research which showed the supplement generated 23% better use of moderate terrain pasture, and 11% better use of difficult terrain. In many cases range that had rarely or never been touched by the cattle saw good forage utilization with addition of the supplement.

Moving the cattle house. Cattle typically graze the greenest grass that’s nearest the pond, stream or water tank. It’s their “home on the range.” The challenge is to move cattle from their “house” and persuade them to graze all portions of the range. Bailey’s data indicate that it can be done with the low-moisture molasses supplement.

In an October 1998 study, Bailey and his associates placed cattle with Hereford and Tarentaise breeding on two pastures in the Bear’s Paws Mountains south of Havre, Mont. Pastures contained predominately rough fescue, Idaho fescue and bluegrass and were 650 and 800 acres in size. Eight barrels of supplement, approximately one per 20 cows, were placed in the pastures. Barrels were placed in pairs, with each barrel in a pair about 30 yards apart. Pairs were situated 200 to 250 yards apart. White salt blocks were placed at two of the four supplement sites. Some of the study was replicated in part of a 12,000-acre pasture of rugged foothills rangeland south of Great Falls, Mont.

Barrels were placed in “difficult” terrain that the cows would normally not graze. “We didn’t place supplement near water, nor within gentle or extreme terrain [greater than 40% slopes],” says Bailey. Every two weeks, previously used supplement barrels were removed and new ones placed in an adjacent area at least 250 yards from the previous location. Cattle were grazed six weeks on one pasture and eight weeks on the other.

Researchers measured forage usage of all areas of the pastures, frequency of visits to the supplement, whether visits were made day or night, supplement intake, and other information to help identify overall grazing patterns. Observations were made from both horseback and sophisticated Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, which tracked cows fitted with electronic collars to monitor grazing patterns.

“We expected to observe a decline in forage use at 400 to 600 yards from the supplement,” says Bailey. “However, overall forage utilization measurements showed that cattle continued to graze about 14% of the total forage within 600 yards of the supplement, despite the fact that the supplement and forage measurements were located in some of the most rugged and difficult grazeable portions of the pasture. The slope of the terrain did not influence utilization or stubble height.”

Frequency of visits. Researchers found that cattle were distributed evenly from the supplement locations. About 18% of the cattle were within 200 yards of the barrels and there was uniformity up to 1,000 yards from the supplement. Cows spent 40% of their time within 600 yards of the barrels. “Our horseback observations showed that less than 20% of the cows were located within 200 yards of the primary water source,” says Bailey, noting that cattle visited the supplement all hours of the day.

Other than in bitter cold weather, most cows visited barrels one or two times per day. They spent 20 to 60 minutes at the barrel. There were usually one to two cows at each barrel at each observation. “The small number of cattle observed at the barrels at any single observation [0-3 cows per barrel] indicates that dominant cows did not prevent others from consuming supplement,” says Bailey.

Cattle didn’t take a straight trail to the barrels. Their behavior two hours prior to reaching supplement showed they took zigzag routes. Using the GPS tracking, researchers found that cows were as far as 320 yards away from the barrels on average, but traveled about 600 yards before they arrived. Cattle traveled farther in late morning than during the night or early morning. Numbers were similar for cattle behavior within two hours after supplement consumption. Cows traveled about 500 total yards to wind up as far as 260 yards from the barrels.

“These patterns suggest that cattle likely grazed en route to and from the supplement,” says Bailey. “We also noticed that cattle remained closer to barrels at night, so the barrels may have served as loafing areas between grazing periods.”

Cold’s impact. As with virtually any type of feeding program, cold temperatures and winds hampered grazing and supplement consumption when supplement was placed in an unprotected area. When temperatures were below freezing and the wind chill was much lower than ambient temperature as the result of the wind, cows often avoided barrels in exposed areas.

In one case, cattle ignored barrels in a location exposed to the winter’s force. Bailey and his crew decided to place the supplement in a less exposed area. The cows moved to the protected area to consume the supplement and to graze. After the weather turned milder, they returned to the exposed area in search of additional supplement and grass.

On the average, supplement consumption was 0.62 lb. per head/per day. The recommended consumption is 0.5 lb. to 1.5 lb., and cattle still performed well at the lower level. Overall consumption was higher during warmer periods and lower in colder ones.

Thinner cows responded. The colder weather during the later part of the study probably caused cow weights to drop and negate the weight gains seen during the warmer months. But cows with higher body condition scores (BCS) of 7 to 8 at weaning lost more weight during the cold than thinner cows in the 4 to 4.5 BCS range. “This indicates that thinner cows may be more willing to travel through rough terrain for grazing and could be more efficient than heavier, higher BCS cows,” says Bailey. “Supplement can be an added benefit for keeping poorer cows as healthy as possible for the next breading season.”

Environment friendly. Ranchers grazing public lands are facing new challenges. Protection of riparian areas along streams and other water bodies is often a priority. The use of supplement blocks to prevent excessive grazing in these and other areas of concern should help ranchers in their efforts to demonstrate how they are taking additional steps to help the environment, says Bailey.

He concludes that ranchers and land managers should consider using supplement to manage livestock grazing on both private and public rangeland pastures. “Based on the results of our studies, the placement of low-moisture blocks in underutilized rangeland is an effective way to improve cattle grazing distribution in the fall,” he says. “Cattle receive energy from molasses and protein to increase forage digestion, as well as 100% of trace minerals they need.”

The Crystalyx^® supplement is available in many formulations adapted for specific grazing situations. It contains a wide blend of molasses solids, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and trace minerals.

Much of the U.S. has suffered from drought for several months.  Lack of rain obviously limits the amount of available grass. Under normal conditions, grass is the majority source the daily amounts of energy and protein required by the cow for her maintenance and production needs. Supplemental proteins, minerals, trace minerals and vitamins are fed to make up for nutritional deficiencies, which occur as grass matures.

Drought changes the normal growth curve of grass.  Not only is the quantity of grass less, the grass matures faster. If we normally start supplementing protein in September or October; we might have to start 30-45 days sooner during drought due to lower than expected grass protein levels. The following table is an example of what occurred during the 2002 drought in the Sandhills of Nebraska.

2011 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Volesky and Adams, page 206

The plants have reached maturity much earlier in the season. Their July protein analysis is more typical of a mid-September analysis. A plant tries to produce seed in order for the species to survive long term. During a drought, there is less leaf growth (quantity and percent of plant) as the plant uses the available moisture in an attempt to produce seed. So there is not only less grass to eat, the available grass is lower in quality.

2011 Range Beef Cow Symposium, Volesky and Adams, page 206

As less and less grass is available, producers start to supplement. It is important to remember a protein supplement makes up for the lower protein available when sufficient quantities of the forage are being grazed or hay being fed. It does not replace the lack of forage due to drought. Lowering the protein level in a protein supplement and increasing the fat level will increase the energy in the supplement. However, increasing the fat percentage in a one pound per head per day protein supplement from five to ten percent may sound like a significant increase in energy but the increased fat intake will not replace the energy from one pound of hay. In fact that increase in fat is less than the energy in 0.20 pounds of corn. We need to keep in mind quantities as well as quality.

CRYSTALYX^® low moisture blocks are nationally known for predictable controlled consumption. Many producers use this predictability in conjunction with the web-based CRYSTALYX^® Supplement Scheduler to manage their supplement delivery schedule. If available forage is severely limited, cows may spend more time consuming self-fed supplements resulting in increased daily intakes. Low moisture blocks like CRYSTALYX,^® due to their physical characteristics, are more resistant to over consumption. 

Very hot, persistent temperatures where forage availability is limited are conditions that should prompt you to be monitoring intakes closely. Customer satisfaction is greatest when your cattle consume within normal intake expectations. If consumption is not at normal expected levels, you may need to evaluate the location of where blocks are placed relative to water, shade and standing forage; how much forage is available to graze; how many cattle you have stocked per barrel; etc. As environmental conditions become more stressed, management demands of your supplement program will increase dramatically over more normal conditions.

Water and hay are hot topics this fall in much of the U.S. this year.  We have had historic drought conditions along with record number of days with temperatures above 100 degrees.  Water is the most important daily requirement when temperatures are this hot.  Several herds have been moved across state lines just because the ranch was out of water.  So it was great last night to visit with a west central Missouri rancher who was not worried about his water supply.  He not only had water, it was a spring-fed water supply.  He had made the investment in a storage tank so he could pipe clean cool spring water to watering tanks for his cows.  He also had quite a bit of timber in his pastures for shade.  He was having an average year for the performance for his herd.

However, his performance is much better than the average for this year.  His “better” water supply and “better” shade was and is worth quite a bit this year (and every year).  He has a normal calf crop to market at much “better” prices and will have a normal calf crop next year to market at “better” yet prices.  What else is he doing better?

He has several acres of alfalfa and improved grass for hay production.  He has culled a few head but will have enough hay to get to next spring.  He will not buy hay because his “poor” hay is “better” than the high-priced hay that is locally available.  He didn’t think his spoiled cows would eat “purchased” hay.  He will have to reseed some alfalfa next spring but is looking at this as an opportunity to improve his fescue pastures.  He is considering a New Zealand fescue variety with finer leaves that is better than his current fescue.

We didn’t talk about his genetics or his marketing plan.  But, I imagine it is better than an average plan.  We did, however, visit about fetal programing and which CRYSTALYX^® product would be best for his feed program and calving season.  He has a choice of several different feed suppliers but feels a CRYSTALYX^® low moisture block is the best product available.

He feels the choices in the CRYSTALYX^® product line are better than any other feed company’s.  He feels he can closely match his feed resources with a CRYSTALYX^® product to better match his cattle’s requirements. 

This producer is one of the “better” ones.  His management plan uses better water, shade, feed and feed supplements.  He is “better” than most at asking good questions.  He does not want a cheap product; he wants a “better” product than will allow his animals to perform much “better” than average.  His bottom line is likely much better than average this year and probably every year.

CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture blocks (LMB) are a popular free-choice supplement that provides consistent low daily intakes that generally deliver less than 1 pound per head, per day for grazing beef cattle. These LMB supplements are manufactured by dehydrating molasses and then blending with dry ingredients to arrive at a specific nutrient profile for grazing livestock. Some formulations feature higher protein guarantees, while others feature a mineral/vitamin supplement depending upon what may be required. 

CRYSTALYX^® can be described as a product with “cold-flow” properties where it can physically flow under its own product weight.  What this means for LMB’s is that they are physically hard at ambient temperatures but require a rigid container so that they hold their shape.  This also means that as ambient temperatures dramatically increase and/or persist over a number of days, LMB’s become more pliable and softer. Sunlight has the effect of increasing the surface temperature of the blocks by 20 degrees (Graph 1). This means that surface temperatures of the blocks can exceed 125 degrees on hot days. Cool nights generally help to harden the product back to a hardness that is conducive to typical intakes of less than 1 pound. However, extended periods of extremely high temperatures coupled with nights that do not cool appreciably, contribute greatly to LMB’s that are softer than what is desirable.    

The southern U.S. has been experiencing these conditions this summer in addition to extreme drought over a wide geographic area. Extreme temperatures and sunlight can influence physical properties of LMB supplements and when combined with limited forage availability supplement programs need to be monitored closely to meet intake expectations.

Graph 1

Handling, Storage and Feeding Tips for CRYSTALYX^® in Hot Weather

Handling and Storage:

1)  Make sure barrels, steel, BioBarrel^® or plastic, are stored upright and that nothing is placed directly on the surface of the product.

2)  If hot temperatures persist, be sure barrels other than steel are not stacked more than two high in order to limit the weight on the bottom row of containers.

3)  Persistent heat will cause LMB product to become more malleable and allow for potential shifting in storage for CRYSTALYX^® in plastic barrels and the BioBarrel^®. 

4)  Keep containers out of the direct sun light in storage.

5)  Monitor stored product daily to look for changes in product or containers that may cause shifting.

6)  Pay particular attention to the bottom row of barrels that are placed directly on pallets as shifting can occur due to an uneven pallet surface for BioBarrel^® or plastic barrels.

7)  Un-stack BioBarrel^® and plastic barrels if they are more than two levels high.  Placing all containers at ground level is advised when storage conditions permit.

Feeding Tips:

1)  Make sure there is plenty of available forage in pastures.  Once forage becomes limiting, supplement intake will most often increase.

2)  Be sure there are 20 to 30 head per barrel for proper surface area exposure.  Fewer animals per container could allow for increased daily intake.

3)  Place barrels further away from water or loafing areas once livestock are familiar with the supplement to decrease intake.

4)  If possible, position barrels in areas that receive shade during the day.

5)  Low-moisture block products will normally soften with high temperatures.  Shade will significantly reduce this softening and night cooling will return product to original hardness.

6)  Check your livestock frequently during extended periods of heat to make sure they have access to fresh water and CRYSTALYX^® supplement programs are delivering expected intakes.  Repositioning barrels in the pasture may be needed to help reach desired intake.

7)  Common livestock management practices that can lead to higher CRYSTALYX^® supplement intake include:

a.  Limited forage availability and/or a significant reduction in quality.

b.  Fewer than 20 to 30 head per container where they have access to more supplement surface area.

c.  Confined situations where cattle are in close proximity to supplement containers for most of the day.

d.  Placement of CRYSTALYX^® barrels in open, un-shaded areas near water.

e.  Allow free-choice supplement access to starved animals that were previously restricted.

CRYSTALYX^® products can be successfully fed under a wide range of grazing conditions including summer pastures.  Long periods of extended heat has the ability to influence the hardness of the product, however, properly manufactured product can safely and predictably be fed.  Drought conditions, modifications in container placement or stocking rates per container are important factors that should be considered when managing a summer LMB supplementation program.