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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.

Several CRYSTALYX^® blogs have been topics surrounding “volatility” in our business and how it is more or less the norm these days.  I think the weather we’ve had in the past couple of years could be summarized much the same.  From floods to drought to extreme heat and cold and late spring blizzards, it reminds me of a common saying I here almost everywhere I travel, “we sure have had a weird ____ “ (fill in the blank and pick your season of year).

I guess its spring by the calendar and yes, we made it through winter – I think.  For many cow-calf producers in the Northern U.S. it was a hard winter or it was a dry winter leaving many wondering about spring precipitation, grass for the 2013 growing season,  crop markets and planting,  etc…  Thankfully there have been some moisture improvements which give hope.  Just what would have last fall and winter have been like without a good supplement strategy, and of course CRYSTALYX^®? 

Our customers purchased and fed a lot of barrels this past year, and it made good sense to do so.  Record high forage cost and volatile commodity cost illustrated the best economics of an effective supplement program, and CRYSTALYX^® penciled very well versus many other supplement types, forms and methods.  Some of the so called “bargain” commodities really weren’t this past year or weren’t even available.

Feeding high quality forages to cows this past winter was either a luxury or not a good economic decision.  Thus we utilized more poor hay (where it could be found), crop residue like corn stalk grazing, bales or feeding, drought stressed silages, etc…   Still, the returns on any supplement program need to be justified.  We nutritionist and feed specialist talk about this all the time.  One thing maybe we ought to think of more is just what we would give up or put at risk without a good supplement program?  With this in mind, what would have the past fall and winter looked like without CRYSTALYX^®, or more importantly what would our cows look like now without it?

What’s the monetary value of CRYSTALYX^®?  What is its benefits worth?

It may be hard to put one hard figure on the value of any supplement program but listed below are some values applied to some of the efficiencies gained:

• A 10% or better hay savings or forage utilization could be realized by feeding CRYSTALYX^® versus not.  If hay is $200 per ton and you’re feeding 25-30 lbs. per cow per day, a 10% improvement in forage utilization could be worth $35.00 or more per cow in a winter feeding season.

• Better Grazing Distribution can extend the number of days on pasture by as much as 2 weeks.  The cost of grazing varies greatly by locale but considering pasture rates from $150-$300 per season, two weeks is worth $14-$28 per cow.

• CRYSTALYX^® eliminates a great deal of labor and equipment cost associated with supplementation.  Again values may vary but by evaluation using the Crystal Clear Economyx^® program, CRYSTALYX^® would have a 10 cent advantage per cow per day versus hand fed supplements.  This equates to $15.00 per cow over a 150 day season.

By not supplementing at all, we may be saving on inputs but we put to risk many health and performance benefits.  These may be considered opportunity cost but the cost of a missed breeding cycle due to poor reproductive performance could be $60.00+ at today’s market and what do sick, and poor doing calves cost??

The cost to feed CRYSTALYX^® for 150 days is approximately $56.00 (more or less depending on formulation chosen and typical intakes).    It is a cost but it does pay.  Nobody likes to write the check but by doing it we can eliminate some of the cost factors above or gain some of the efficiencies above.  With today’s costs and the price of calves, it doesn’t take a lot to make a CRYSTALYX^® program pay. CRYSTALYX^® has weathered the volatility we face very well.  Thus perhaps one of the reasons it’s worked so well.  I’d argue (as I have in past writings) that it brings more value to our industry now than ever.

Be assured that CRYSTALYX^® was a good supplement decision last season and likely will be going forward.  Thank you, cattle producers for your business and the opportunity to serve you.  Our success depends upon yours as we are all in this together.  Here’s to good weather, green grass and success this summer!

In my last blog (about 7 weeks ago), I predicted that it always rains at the end of a drought.  For many of us in the northern plains, we received one to two feet of snow in April.  Some had more, and some had less, but in many areas it was the first appreciable amount of precipitation in months.  Could it be that it may snow at the end of a drought?  Perhaps so, but it is way too early to say we are coming out of the great drought of 2012.  There will be ample moisture in many places to spur some spring growth of cool season grasses.  Jon Albro had an excellent Blog on March 19th about the increased likelihood of grass tetany following a dry winter.  As you read this today, many of you may already be experiencing that.  Hopefully you have had high magnesium supplements out ahead of the threat. 

As we move into May, many of you are close to turning your bulls out, and for those of you that calve in February, they are already out.  Whether you have had to deal with grass tetany or not, your next nutritional opportunity is your summer mineral program.  While the grass may be lush, and you may be tempted to reduce supplement costs, your summer mineral program is one of the cheapest times of the year to meet your herd’s supplemental nutrient needs.  This is primarily because (most of the time) you do not need to supplement protein, and self-fed supplement intake in the summer time is generally low.  Spring and summer supplementation programs also ensure that your beef herd is in optimal condition to conceive next year’s calf crop.  I would place that fairly high on any Cattleman’s priority list.  Should we really be cutting corners here?

But do you need supplements on lush spring forage?  For your local area, your County Extension Agents would have the best information.  From a broader view, we can look at the NAHMS (National Animal Health Monitoring System) 1997 forage survey, which summarized over 700 forage samples in 23 states.  Of 38 native grass samples submitted, only 18% were adequate for copper and only 23 % were adequate for zinc.  Similarly, of 70 introduced grass samples submitted, 30% were adequate for copper and 34 % were adequate for zinc.  Only about 23% of all 108 grass samples were adequate for selenium.  While it stated that these samples were fairly mature at the time of sampling, it still demonstrates that your grass pastures are more often than not, going to be inadequate for copper, zinc and selenium.   These are three of the most important trace minerals for reproduction in a beef cow.

But, you say, will they be adequate in the spring?  Can I skip spring mineral supplementation?  While grasses will likely have their highest concentration of trace minerals in the spring, there is still a chance that they may not be adequate.  If we look at the two graphs below form work conducted in Oregon, we can see the average concentration for zinc and copper, in 10 grasses sampled, never do reach an adequate level over a 2 year period (10 ppm for copper and 30 ppm for zinc).  Again, your local Extension Agent would have more specific information for your local forages.

Adapted from Ganskopp and Bohnert 2003

Adapted from Ganskopp and Bohnert 2003

May and June are very busy times for all Ranchers and Farmers.  But self-fed summer mineral programs will generally only cost from 6 to 12 cents per head per day.  While your grasses may be deficient in just a few trace minerals, it is important to supplement with a properly balanced mineral product.  CRYSTALYX^® Brand Mineral Supplement blocks are available to your herd 24/7, and are formulated to take the guess work out of those ratios.  Additionally, CRYSTALYX^® Brand Supplements can be used to lure your cattle to underutilized rangeland and pastures, so that you get maximum utilization of your grass and efficient herd breed-up, all with a minimum requirement on your time, to just roll out the barrels.  

The holiday season is a good time to reflect upon the past year.  We might ask ourselves, what went wrong, right, what we’d do again, and what we learned not to do.  2012 was a challenging year in many respects.  No doubt the drought was the most challenging and a news making event.  It will be a large factor in shaping our industry for the next several years.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the negatives but there is some good news, or at least things to be thankful for. Winter has not taken a hard grip (at least not at the time of writing this) making it just a little easier to deal with limited feed resources and higher cost.  Yes, we in the feed and supplement business have been challenged by more production demand and in making feed programs more efficient but we are grateful to be in this business.    In addition, beef cattle prices have remained solid.  Sure, there have been some ups and downs and production costs have been rising, but by in large the cow-calf producer will be profitable in 2012 and experts point to an optimistic 2013 given a little help from mother nature.  With all the above being said, if you were to ask a cow to reflect on 2012 and the Christmas season, she might write a letter to Santa Claus and I have a feeling it would go something like this:

Dear Santa,

Its dry and I’ve consumed low quality forage this past summer & fall.  I’ve got by okay due to some supplemental help.  I’ve not been naughty this year, I’ve been nice.  I’ve done my best to breed well, maintain body condition and even gained some because I’ve been fed CRYSTALYX^® on the ranch this fall.  I’m sure some naughty cows in other places might not get any supplement this winter and will have to “just rough it.”  Maybe it’s because they think it costs too much.  I’m sure they will be sorry come calving or rebreeding time as they’ll have more problems.  The lump of coal in their stocking might be a trip to the sale barn next summer or fall.

 Again Santa, I’ve been more nice than naughty so some supplement like CRYSTALYX^® would sure help again. It sounds like the calf market will be good next year and I’ll raise a good calf if I’m fed right.  I’ll also breed back, and do it early in the breeding season as to have a heavier calf to sell in 2014.  This will be even more likely if you allow me to have a good CRYTALYX^® mineral program through the summer months, or a good fly control program too?  If you do this, I’ll be able to withstand the stresses of summer, especially if it’s dry again, and will be in good shape next fall.  In fact, I’ll be easier to feed next fall and winter if I’m taken care of this winter into spring and next summer.

Santa, my job is pretty simple.  I graze, get bred, calve, and nurse a calf.  If I can do it under budget and perform each year, I’ll stay on the ranch.  I do need some tools however and CRYSTALYX^® fits well.  Thank you Santa and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  P.S.  Please send rain.

There are uncertainties in 2013 but the future is never fully clear.  We do know that Beef Cattle numbers and beef production will be lower in 2013.  This coupled with decent demand (certain or uncertain?) should translate into good beef cow-calf economics.  So if you look at supplementation like playing Santa Claus, I hope you think of your cows being more nice than naughty.  Take care of the cows that take care of you. Thank you Livestock Producers for allowing us to serve you and for your resilience in 2012.  We wish you success in 2013!

It is almost Christmas time.  Before you know it, the holidays will be over, and some of you may actually be looking forward to this!  You may also be wondering if we will go over the Fiscal Cliff.  As I write this, no one seems to have any answers.

Back to cows…. come January 1st, 2013, many of you will be within 60 to 90 days of calving.  So, your cows are approaching a “Nutritional Cliff”.  For the brood cow, calving through re-breeding is a high stress time, coupled with high nutrient requirements.  The final 3 months of gestation see somewhere around 70% of the total growth of the fetus.  Several key nutrients are transferred from the cow to the calf during the final 3 months of gestation.  If cows are short on protein, weak calves can often result.  Good quality colostrum is a must for healthy calves.

  For spring calving cows, most forages are deficient in the trace minerals and vitamins necessary for production of good quality colostrum.  Supplementation of trace minerals, vitamins and phosphorus is then absolutely essential to building the quality of colostrum that will provide the calf with a robust immune system necessary to avoid scours.  This transfer of nutrients to the newborn calf puts a drain on the maternal reserves at a time when she needs them to recover from calving and then breed back.

Another factor to consider this year is how the impact of recent drought conditions and dry summer/fall pastures impacted your cow herd.  Limited forage availability as compared to typical grazing conditions may have resulted in less energy converted to cow weight gain.  Are your cows coming into the winter with their normal body condition stores or are they a bit thinner than normal?  Given the time of the year you still have ample time to influence fiber digestibility and harvest more energy from your current forage supplies.

How can you avoid this nutritional cliff?  It is not hard at all.  Make sure you ramp up your cow herd supplementation at 3 months prior to calving.  If your cows are not going to calve at a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 5 or better, you will need to feed more energy to get them to a BCS of 5 by calving.  Failing to have your cows in this good of condition will often result in poorer conception rates this spring and summer. 

There may be some of you thinking that you don’t want to make a drastic increase in the plane of nutrition for cows late in gestation as it may result in more dystocia or calving difficulty.  There have been a number of studies that refute this observation when elevating the nutritional plane for cows prior to calving. Generally you may see a small increase in Birth Weight of the calves but more importantly, you find that cows are much better prepared physically to handle the birthing process and are able to calve unassisted when compared to under fed cows.  I would caution anyone who wants to use this reasoning to not supplement their cows prior to calving if they indeed want to have cows that will provide high quality colostrum milk after an unassisted calving followed by producing strong healthy calves that can face the uncertain spring environmental conditions with minimal health concerns.  Simply put, don’t let your cows go into calving underfed!

If you are concerned that you have not prepared your cows for the upcoming nutritional cliff, take steps to provide supplemental nutritional well ahead of the cliff.  CRYSTALYX^® Brand Supplements are an easy way to affordably provide protein, trace minerals, vitamins and phosphorus in a supplement block that’s available 24/7, while minimizing your investment in time, labor and equipment.    

Technology is everywhere. Our homes are wireless, tractors all but drive themselves, and you can even get reminders on your phone to put out fresh barrels. As much as technology is readily accepted in other areas of everyday life, there is hesitation when it comes to technology and food production. Public concern over the use of feed additives in food animals is high with those outside the ag community. However, what would happen if the growth enhancing technology (GET) we take for granted in cattle production (ionophores, implants, etc.) where no longer available?

A review in the October 2012 issue of the Journal of Animal Science tackled just that question. The table below illustrates the changes needed to maintain pounds of beef produced in the U.S. at 1 billion pounds. The GET types that were included in this review include in-feed ionophores (monensin, lasalocid), in-feed hormones (melengestrol acetate), beta-andrenergic agonists (ractopamine, zilpaterol) and steroid implants.

Losing GET will result in more cattle, land, feed and water needed to maintain current beef production levels. It will also increase the cost of production. The review suggests that production costs to get a steer to 1,200 lbs. would increase from $1,704 to $1,860. This $156 per head increase translates to reduced profits and eventually reduce production. There would be increased competition with pork and poultry at the meat counter as well. It would not be the end of beef production in the US, but would mean lost jobs and perhaps the next generation not being able to stay on the ranch.

We can’t overlook the natural and organic cattle producers in this discussion. They have paved the way for production without the use of most or all GET and have many successes. There is a thriving market for cattle produced in this manner. However, the beef industry as a whole cannot afford to not utilize GET. It’s just not feasible when you look at the numbers in the table above.

We have to be our own advocates when it comes to GET. We as beef producers, stewards of land and animals, have to be ready and willing to explain our methods. The standard answer of “that’s the way dad/grandpa did it” doesn’t work anymore. We have to be mindful of the products that we’re using with the cattle. We must use them properly, read and follow the directions on the tag. We should be asking ourselves: why are we using it? does this group of cattle really need it?  what are the withdrawal times?

We can’t rely on an industry that doesn’t take every advantage of approved technology to feed our country. The void in global beef production left by the lack of GET use in the U.S. would be made up by another nation. Countries like Brazil would be mostly likely to increase production, however, that would mean clearing land to add pastures. Additionally, not all countries hold to the same standards for food for human consumption that are in place in the U.S.  

When you consider that with GET, beef producers in the U.S. can feed our nation and part of the world, why would we want to take a step backwards? It would be the loss of a way of life, the loss of the ability to feed ourselves and the beginning of relying on outside sources of beef. When you think of it in those terms, it goes against the American spirit.

Read the abstract or download the entire article here. 

We are in the middle of the Holiday Season with many gatherings of family and friends to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.  The primary topics of conversation will involve family happenings and recent events.  Since most of the population is at least a generation removed from production agriculture, these gatherings gives us an opportunity to educate our friends and extended family about raising cattle with why we manage cattle a particular way and current trends in beef production.  Everyone will have some interest since the cost of beef has been noticed by most consumers.  The two current topics below are what I consider to be important messages and many of the statistics are taken from Cattle Fax Updates.  We have done more with fewer cows for several decades but we may be at the tipping point for the beef cow herd.

Technology is good and it will drive efficiency.  Beef today is not “Franken Food”

Look around any room and compare the advancement in electronic and cell phone technology to technological advancement in agriculture and beef cattle production.  The first computers were massive central processing units that filled rooms.  The technology advanced quickly into desk top units, then laptops, tablets and now smart phones.  Most consumers do not fear their phone.

Technology used in animal agriculture is not as threatening to the general population when discussed in this context.  Today the beef industry produces more beef with fewer animals.  The total cow herd has been on decline since the late 1970s; however, since 1980 more beef has been harvested each year from fewer animals.   

The smart phone is the result of many individual advancements and the improvement in beef production is a result of many factors.  When consumers realize this additive effect they are less apt to believe scare tactics of some anti-agriculture groups that want to portray modern food as a science project gone bad.  Explain the improvements in breeding programs, nutrition, animal health and management programs to produce a safe and wholesome product. Most cow calf producers can show a picture of a cow with a calf on pasture with pride and confidence that this is a true representation of their part of the beef industry.  Our next steps are to explain how that cow is the result of three generations of selective breeding for the traits THEY want and then explain how the calf will be feed a diet that is better balanced than their own diet and at times that calf may be fed antibiotics to keep it healthy and other feed additives for improved feed efficiency.  However, we need to remember to relate this back to what most consumers consider important: safe, affordable food and humane animal care.

The Beef Cow Herd is at a Tipping Point.  Doing Less and Costing More with Fewer Cows.

Beef will cost more due to declining supplies.  Beef production has been maintained since 2010 due to higher finish weights and increased cow culling.  The average per capita consumption of beef is 56 pounds per person, which requires a cow herd of at least 31 million head.  Due to two consecutive years of drought, the cow herd is expected to be near 29 million head in 2013.  With the high cost of gain in the feed lot, it is unrealistic to expect a continuation of feeding to larger weights unless beef prices increase.  There will be fewer heifers in the feedlot.  In recent years, the heifer placement in feedlots has been in the 35-39% range.  It will require 5-6 million heifers to grow the cow herd and this will further decrease the beef supply.

For this Holiday Season, you can proudly discuss the history of the beef industry and take credit for many of the efficiencies and the advancements in food safety.  Cost will be brought up and relating it back to the current cow herd situation is another way to help explain how using technology is a good thing.  This topic may be less controversial than debating the results of the election.  

Fall is quickly coming to an end and the winter months are soon upon us.  For most cattle producers actively growing pastures have also begun to go dormant and you either have stock piled forages, crop residues or stored hay supplies to help get you through to next Spring.  Drought conditions could also have impacted your typical winter nutrition program with limitations in your normal forage base.  It is a good time to put your program together now as you do not want to fall short prior to spring green up, especially if you have a spring calving herd.

The first step is to get a good handle on both the quality and quantity of your forages.  Take samples of the different types of forages you have available and send them in for nutrient content analyses.   Be sure that you save good quality forages just prior to and through calving if you are not yet to green grass by then.  Nutrient requirements of your herd are at their highest once they calve. 

One feature of a beef cow herd that provides considerable flexibility in a nutrition program is their ability to store energy as measured by body condition.  While many other livestock segments focus on balancing diets with animal nutrient requirements, beef cows have the ability to bank body stores to help them through periods of erratic nutrient intake.  Why is it that feeding beef cows can differ so much in this regard, compared to dairy cows, sows or calves in feed lots?  One major reason is feed intake and another significant factor is the environment.  When you consider hog, dairy and feed yards, they know exactly how much animals are consuming by closely monitoring feed deliveries.  Furthermore, many of the environmental impacts on nutrient requirements of the animal are also controlled with enclosed production barns.

Beef cows are raised across North America in a wide variety of production systems under an equally diverse set of environmental conditions.  How many producers know the first part of any nutrition equation… how much are your cows eating?  The truth to this answer is quite honestly, very few.  It becomes difficult to dial in a nutrition program when total intake is not known. 

We often use an estimate of forage dry matter intake of between 1.5% and 3% of cow body weight.  The lower estimate is used on low quality forages during gestation and the higher amount is used on high quality forages once cows have calved.  When planning hay needs make sure that you also account for losses associated with feeding which can range from 5% to as high as 45% depending upon method of feeding.   For planning purposes, a value of 3% of cow body weight is often used for planning stored forage needs during the winter period. 

It becomes apparent that in order to maintain a cow that rebreeds on time each year, proper cow condition management is key.  Even though we may not balance a cow’s diet down to the last ounce of energy she needs every day of the year, we need to make sure we focus on her body condition over the course of the year by paying close attention to how she comes into the winter months through calving, leading up to green grass in the spring. 

When selecting a supplement to help maximize the nutrition of your forage make sure you have an adequate supply of forages to get through the winter.  If the drought has left you short, an alternative nutrition program may need to be considered unless you are reducing the size of your herd or purchasing additional forage.  Supplemental protein will help increase intake and digestibility of lower quality forages.  Well-fortified self-fed supplements from CRYSTALYX^® Brand Supplements can help cows maintain their body condition when fed with low quality forages.  In addition, the labor savings delivery requires significantly less labor and equipment when compared with other supplement programs.  When evaluating supplements, whether they come in the form of a cube, liquid, tub or blocks, make sure you evaluate the delivery of the nutrition program in its entirety.  Some references are commonly made that comparisons should be on cost per unit of protein delivered on a dry matter basis.  While this is good advice, it doesn’t go far enough when comparing supplements as delivery can, in some cases, cost as much as the supplement itself.  Make sure you evaluate supplements that are delivered all the way to the cow.

As we all know, hay is in short supply this year due to drought. Feed costs represent 40 to 60% of the total budget for a cattle operation. Of this, hay represents a sizable proportion. Your choice of hay feeder design can significantly influence how much hay is wasted and thus your total feed costs.

Researchers at Oklahoma State compared four common types of hay feeders. These were the modified cone (CONE), the open-bottomed steel ring (RING), polyethylene pipe (POLY) and the sheeted-bottom steel ring (SHEET).  Table 1 (see below) outlines the results. Modified cone hay feeders (See Figure 1) were by far the most efficient means to feed hay to cattle. 

Table 1.  Comparative hay wastage in four hay feeder designs. Oklahoma State University

As we are finishing harvest, it is a good time to consider what needs to be done this Fall to keeping your beef cow herd profitable.  The economic impact of using information from this “To Do” list is more critical this year due to the higher forage and feeding cost caused by the drought.

Pregnancy Check Cows

Estimates of $500 to $550 per year to maintain a beef cow are common.  If a cow is not producing a calf, she is a liability and non-productive asset.  Cull cow prices are best early in the fall and then decline into the winter.  This is a year where you will benefit by early culling by getting a better price and limiting the amount of feed invested in cull cows.

Forage Inventory

Not only take a physical count of hay supplies but take some samples of the different cuttings to group your hay by nutrient content and quality.  Work with a nutritionist to get representative samples of the hay and use the results to determent what cattle will be fed the different hays and how to best supplement that group.

Body Condition Score Cows

Due to declining pasture quality with the drought there may be some cows and especially first calf heifers that may be too thin and are at risk for lower pregnancy rates next spring.  Cows with a BCS of 4 or less will have pregnancy rates in the 70% range compared to over 90% for cows with BCS of 5 or greater.  The Crystalyx^® Beef Cow Body Condition Score App is an excellent tool to generate a pictorial history of cow BCS to help you best manage your herd and feed resources.

Group Cows According to BCS

This may be a year where having multiple beef cow feeding groups will result in better allocation of limited forage resource and better animal performance through targeted supplementation strategies.  Grazing corn stalks is an excellent way to extend the grazing season for cows in good body condition.  Protein content of crop residue is low and feeding a self-fed supplement like Crystalyx^® BFG™ 30 is an excellent way to provide additional protein and improve digestibility for a low cost per head per day feeding program. 

Cows or heifers that are thinner than desired may require some higher quality forage or supplemental energy and protein from higher intake sources.  Often a mineral type supplement such as Mineral-Lyx^® or Crystal-Phos^® can be used to deliver mineral and vitamins.

Review Production Records

Evaluate cow performance compared to the rest of the herd?  Evaluate your records to answer 3 questions;

1       How many pounds of calf did she produce for me this year?

2       What part of the calving season did she calve in? 

3       How is this year compared to past years?  This last question may reveal that she is falling later and later into the calving season and becoming less productive.

This Fall “To Do” list will provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your feeding program, supplement needs and culling decisions.  The profit potential for the cow calf sector has probably never been better!  Keeping profitable cows in your herd will make it easier to reach your financial goals now and into the future. 

Cows grazing cornstalks, it’s a common practice in the Midwest, albeit some information is being written about it as though it was a new practice.  It isn’t. However much has been learned with more recent research data and the ability to efficiently utilize this resource has improved with different strategies.  This season, with the drought conditions plaguing a large area of beef cattle production, grazing not only cornstalks but other crop residue will have a new value component.

What’s in the Residue?

Corn Residue or Cornstalks do provide an abundant source of forage.  In Nebraska and other states of the Western Corn belt, it’s been called our winter pasture.  Corn residue is composed of the husk, leaf, stem, and cob and waste grain left in the field after harvesting.  The stem or stalk portion of the residue comprises nearly 40% of the dry matter, while the leaf and husk comprise about 45%, and cob about 10-15%.  All of these components will vary in nutritional quality and digestibility and most attention should be given to the husk and leaf portion; which is what will provide the majority of the diet based on grazing management and diet selection of the animal.  Thus, husk and leaf is about 60% digestible (based on in-vitro dry matter digestibility data) and will average about 3.5 -7.5% crude protein.  Comparatively, cornstalk grazing is similar in quality as moderate to low quality hay.

What’s Grazed and When?

Most cornstalk grazing management recommends a 50% removal of the residue.  When cattle are first turned into fields for grazing, they seek out waste corn first, then the husk and leaves.  The stalks are normally the last components to be grazed and are lowest in quality.  The amount of waste corn is variable due to harvest efficiency, ear drop caused by weather damage or other factors.  A general rule is the amount of waste corn will average near 4% of the total dry matter available.  If a great deal of waste corn is present (more than 8-10 bushel/acre) the risk of acidosis may be a concern, especially if the stocking rate is low.  Having some waste corn in the residue does improve overall diet quality and digestibility, but this quality disappears quickly over time and is hastened by stocking rate.  The diagram below illustrates this decrease in in-vitro dry matter digestibility as grazing days prolong.

Determining Stocking Rate

Appropriate stocking rate is related to the corn grain yield. A general rule is that 175 bushel per acre corn yield would supply about 1.5 AUM/acre of grazing; about 45 days of grazing for a 1200 lb. cow. [1]  Grazing at 1 AUM per acre would be considered a light stocking rate and 2 AUM would be considered heavy.    There is a free spreadsheet named “Corn Stalk Calculator” available through the University of Nebraska Extension Service.  This spreadsheet can help calculate stocking rate, days of grazing, and total grazing cost.  It can be found at www.unl.beef.edu.   This is very handy to use and would be a good guide this year as corn yields under 175 bushel per acre are more common with the drought.  Past stocking rates will probably not be a good guideline this season.

Supplementation Needs

When evaluating the protein and digestibility values of various corn residue components, a convincing argument can be made for supplementation, especially protein.  Quality of cornstalk grazing will be determined by stocking rate.  The higher the stocking rate the faster the “goody” found in cornstalk grazing will be used up.  Thus, the longer cows are grazed cornstalks in the same field, the lower the quality of their diet.   There have been recent and ongoing studies evaluating the need for supplementation with cornstalk grazing.   It would appear that with appropriate stocking rates, minimal weather challenges and a not so demanding stage of animal production ( 2nd trimester of gestation), mature beef cows would maintain Body Condition without protein or energy supplementation.  I would caution the readers of that research to consider many things as it’s also shown that by supplementing on cornstalks, Body Condition can be gained.  Mineral, vitamin and salt supplementation is also still necessary.

 The 2012-2013 season is one where we will find many drought stressed cows and gaining a condition score in October, November and December will be a good thing, much better than just maintaining.  In addition, with limited forage supplies, the use of cornstalk grazing or feeding cornstalks in many rations will be increased.    As a cow-calf producer, one may be tempted to graze stalks a little longer or utilize more than the 50% recommended, simply due to the cost of forage.  So with this in mind, supplementation is and will be warranted to best utilize the forage available.  Crystalyx^® has many good answers in products ranging from 20-40% crude protein.   Consider these, and ones with a small portion of the protein from non-protein nitrogen (urea) to best utilize the fiber.

 Nitrate, Mycotoxin, and Acidosis Concerns

Nitrates have been a concern in drought stressed corn.  The good news is that most nitrate concentration in corn is found in the lower portion of the stem/stalk.  Again, this would be the last component of the residue cattle would graze so avoiding nitrates is relatively easy with proper management and not over grazing.   Similarly, with mycotoxins, the concern is in the corn grain fraction which, in most cornstalk grazing, is not a significant portion of the diet.  Again, if more that 8-10 bushels per acre are determined to be wasted, acidosis may be a concern.  In this case, management can help by cleaning up spilled areas of corn grain, strip grazing cornstalks (if practical), or simply increasing the stocking rate which removes the corn grain sooner and by a larger number of animals.

Cost of Cornstalk Grazing?

The numbers are all over the board.  Here in Western Nebraska, the rates may have doubled in the last two years.  Crop and hay values, coupled with drought and limited forage, have driven this.  Cornstalks may not be the bargain they once were but still are a good value; even at $25.00 an acre, which is the asking price in many areas, it’s less than many summer grazing rates.  Again, this number will vary from free for “Aunt Betty’s north quarter”, to as high as $50 or more by some exaggeration of coffee shop talk.  What it is worth, is what’s paid for it.  Thank goodness we have some cornstalk grazing this year

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[1] Calculation based on 175 bushel per acre yield = approx. 16 lbs. of residue material, 50% of which is available for grazing.  50% X (16X175) = 1400 lbs. of DM available.  A 1000 lb. cow = 1 AUM and requires 780 lbs. of DM/month.  1200 lb. cow = 1.2 AUM or 936 lbs. of DM/month.   (1400)/ (1.2 X 780) = 1.50 AUM.

Traditionally, the use of CRYSTALYX^® supplements has been in fall and winter months with running age beef cows.  This is still where the vast majority of product volume is used but growth within other segments of beef cow production and during spring and summer months has been growing.  Earlier blog articles have described the benefits of using CRYSTALYX^® as a vehicle to deliver not only protein and energy but mineral/vitamin programs in the summer, additives for fly control and growth promotants, etc…

The types of CRYSTALYX^® products could be categorized into about three to five different groups, with the main three being:  Protein, mineral, and specialty supplements.  These would all fit into a year round program per se but simply feeding one or more year round would qualify as year round feeding.  Forage quality and environmental conditions would dictate just what products fit the best.  Below is a chart that illustrates what a year round CRYSTALYX^® program would look like.  This would be typical for a ranch in the Northern or Central Plains states or Rocky Mountain Region.

Cost figures for the above program would be about $100.00 per cow per year.  That may sound like a lot but just think about the cost of all feedstuffs today and what you really return from a supplement program.    Supplements that perform do require an investment.  Doing little or nothing will normally return anything or will reduce performance.  This cost estimate above is also based on typical intakes of CRYSTALYX in traditional programs.   In year round programs, it’s been my experience that cattle tend to consume less CRYSTALYX^® thus having lower cost per day figures.

The Benefits of Year Round CRYSTALYX^®

I’ve had the opportunity to work with and get to know Roger Koberstein, a very good Angus producer near Holyoke, CO the past 18 month.  Roger began using CRYSTALYX^® Breed Up^® 28 with BioMos^® just prior to the 2011 spring season with one group of cows.  He used only this supplement and salt through calving, breeding, summer grazing and into fall.  He had excellent rebreeding and calves weaned from this group of cows were 40-50 lbs. heavier than calves from cows on a traditional mineral program. The weight gain alone from these calves more than paid for the CRYSTALYX^® program.   CRYSTALYX^® Breed Up^® 28 is now the year round program on the ranch and fed 365 days per year to all cows.  Overall consumption of Breed Up^® 28 has been lower than typically expected in various forage conditions as well.  This may be due to the fact that cows being offered a year round program are in a more consistent, positive plane of nutrition and will consume supplement more consistently and at lower levels.

I’ve been asked by producers countless times, “which CRYSTALYX^® barrel is the cheapest to use?”  My answer is usually, “the highest priced one.”  What I’m implying here is that some of our best fortified products (like the Breed Up^® 28) are the highest cost and usually are consumed at much lower rates, thus the cost per animal per day is the lowest.  Having consistency in a nutrition program will translate into consistent performance, good herd health and lower overall total cost of production.  Way too often I see programs that are not fed correctly or a started, then stopped and then started again.  This “see-saw” effect of supplementation probably winds up wasting more nutrients.  A supplement program that is not fed or managed correctly is simply a waste of money.

If you like the way CRYSTALYX^® works for your fall/winter program you’ll probably like it in a year round program too.  It doesn’t cost, it pays, and is easy to manage.  Take a closer look.  www.CRYSTALYX.com 

Most of the cattlemen reading this blog will likely admit that they are in a drought, to some degree or another.  Interestingly, some may have even sold hay from a bumper crop last year, for what seemed like a tidy profit at $125/ton, only to have to buy some back this year at prices $20 to $50 above that.  What a difference el niño can make!   For whatever reason, many Cattlemen are buying hay this fall, in order to get through the winter.  And, for some cattlemen, hay may be scarce in their part of the country.  CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) hay may be part of what they can make a deal on.

Earlier this summer, the USDA opened much of the CRP land for emergency haying and grazing.  This greatly increased the forage available to cattlemen in drought stricken counties.  If you are like most of us, when you hear the term “CRP hay”, you immediately begin to get a visual of some pretty low quality forage.  Something a little bit better than straw, but not as good as your neighbor’s 3-year old pile of alfalfa round bales.  While this does describe one end of the quality spectrum, some of the CRP hay can be much better.  The previous year’s old growth (or perhaps the lack of any growth this year) is what makes the quality decline so badly.  If, for some reason, there is not too much old growth in it, or if there is a fair amount of alfalfa in the mix, you could see crude protein values as high as 10%.  This is pretty good feed for a gestating beef cow, but CRP hay at the other end of the spectrum may be 6% to 7% CP or less.  This poor quality CRP can really use some help in the form of supplemental protein.  As with any purchased forage, you need to have a good representative (not just 1or 2 bales) sample tested, at a reputable feed lab.  This would be especially worth the investment with CRP hay, as the value/quality can vary greatly, and should impact the asking price. 

So, while you are looking up el niño’s phone number in the phone book, to give him a piece of your mind, also jot down the number of your nearest CRYSTALYX^® dealer, as you will be needing some supplemental crude protein to help digest that lower quality CRP hay.  The added protein in CRYSTALYX^® beef supplements allow cattle to unlock more energy from the CRP hay they consume.  Vitamin A activity is also likely to be low in that quality of forage, and we know from past experience that most all forages in the US are deficient in copper and zinc.  We are developing quite a grocery list of nutrients we need to go with this CRP hay, but, rest assured that CRYSTALYX^® protein supplements for beef cattle contain 1 to 2 times the NRC required nutrient levels for trace minerals and vitamins A, D and E.  CRYSTALYX^® Brand self-fed supplements are an excellent way to maximize your returns from a supplement program that’s available 24/7, while minimizing your investment in time, labor and equipment.    

On the CRYSTALYX^® website, go to “Condition Type” and choose “Low Quality Forage” for a complete list of the appropriate CRYSTALYX^® protein supplements for that bottom end CRP hay.

Maximizing Rumen Bacterial Growth and Forage Digestion

Several recent Block Blogs have discussed various aspect of feeding cattle to get the most out of the available forage.  Mark Robbins discussed the use of Non-Protein Nitrogen and Dan Dhuyvetter reviewed how a natural brown seaweed meal called Tasco^® and how they impact forage digestibility through improved rumen function.  If we examine rumen function at the microbial level we get a better understanding of how nutrient and additive delivery through a low moisture block (LMB) self-fed supplement like CRYSTALYX^® can dramatically improve fiber digestibility.    

Rumen Microbial Populations and Rumen pH

The rumen is a large fermentation vat, with a total volume of 40-50 gallons for a 1500 pound beef cow. The rumen provides a site where billions of rumen microorganisms can digest carbohydrate, proteins and fiber.  These microbes convert feedstuffs into energy in for the form of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and microbial protein that can be utilized by the animal. Rumen bacteria can be grouped into different categories depending on the material they digest.  It is estimated, there are over 100 billion bacteria in the rumen.  Protozoa and rumen fungi (yeast) make up the remaining microbial population. 

The microbes are very sensitive to rumen pH and nutrient supply.  At pH between 6 and 7 the VFAs produced are acetate (50-65%), propionate (18-20%) and a small amount of butyric acid (10-18%).  Acetate and butyric acid is utilized for body fat and milk fat synthesis.  Propionate is utilized to maintain blood glucose levels.   A small amount of butyric acid is used as an energy source for the cells lining the rumen wall.  At pH 6 to 7 and the resulting VFAs provides an optimal amount of energy and microbial protein to the cow.  The predominate bacteria are the fiber digesters.   Rumen pH below 5.8 will shift the microbial population from primary fiber digesters to starch digesters.  These microbes will produce lactic acid.  The amount of feed and how quickly it is consumed will impact rumen pH.  Feeds high in starch will result in rapid fermentation and a subsequent drop in pH.  In general, as the forage to concentrate ratio decreases, the acetate to propionate ratio drops.  If pH drops below 5.5 there is a risk of acidosis due to the accumulation of lactic acid.  The bacteria that digest fiber die and it can be several days before their numbers return to normal levels.  The rumen is in a constant flux and maintaining a balance of the microbial population is critical to maximizing forage digestion. 

Rumination and the Benefit of Saliva

Cows that are chewing their “cud” for 8-10 hours per day will recirculate about 45 gallons of saliva.    Cattle are great at recycling.  The saliva is composed on sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate ions.  These minerals are recycled back to the rumen and act as a powerful natural buffer helping maintain a consistent rumen pH.  Saliva also helps make the cow more efficient in nitrogen metabolism.  As proteins are broken down in the rumen ammonia is produced.  Fiber digesting bacteria require a certain level of nitrogen available in the rumen as ammonia.  When there is excess nitrogen in the rumen it is absorbed and recalculated through the saliva.  In general, as the level of grain in the diet is increased, the amount of rumination and saliva produced is decreased which can result in the rumen function being less efficient due to the loss the natural recycling of buffer and ammonia.  LMB supplements will stimulate saliva production due to the licking action need to consume them.   There is an enhancement in rumen function beyond just the nutrients that the LMB supplies.

Nutrient Deliver Impact on Net Nutrient Availability

Feedstuffs are analyzed for energy and crude protein content.  These are lab methods that estimate nutrient content based on chemical analysis. However, the true nutrient value is what the cow is able to digest.  We often think of corn as an energy source, but research has shown that 3 pounds of corn fed in a diet of low quality forage resulted in reduced fiber digestion compared to 1 pound of LMB.  The sugars in the LMB do not lower pH like the starch in corn and are consumed over a longer time frame.  The net result of corn diet was less energy being made available to the animal due to lower forage digestion.  On paper, the nutrient analysis of the hay in the diet was the same for the corn and LMB treatment.  However, the amount of nutrients metabolized from the forage was much higher for the LMB treatment.

In practical terms, the energy content of forage is more dependent on how it is fed and the other ingredients in the diet than what the lab reported energy content.  We have seen instances where one farm will have exceptional animal performance and another farm with very similar forage will have poor animal performance.  If we look at digestion at the microbial level we are able to explain some of these differences.  Were there different methods of feeding and what were the other ingredients in the diet?  Often a nutritionist or cattle producer will doubt the benefit of delivering 0.5 to 1.0 pound of a LMB supplement.  CRYSTALYX^® offers a wide variety of self-fed supplements for a variety of forage quality and feeding situations.  At the rumen microbial level, a consistent supply of rumen friendly carbohydrate and protein and a stable rumen pH can result in optimal performance and maximizing your forage.    

The drought will have lingering effects on cow-calf producers well into next year, especially in the areas of forage quality and availability.  Any technologies, management practices or additives that can help us better use forages we have on hand should be evaluated to determine if their benefits will outweigh their expense.  Probably the most predictable forage utilization responses observed are those directly affected by protein supplementation, particularly on low quality forages that are less than 8% crude protein.  If you have lower quality forages, the addition of supplemental soluble protein that is degraded in the rumen provides an improvement in forage digestibility and often times increased forage intake.  This provides added energy to your cow-herd from the forages that you have on hand in two ways.  Cows will digest more nutrients from the forage and they will consume more of these low quality forages. 

You should make sure that you are selecting protein supplements that contain ingredients that are digested in the rumen.  Mark Robbins wrote an earlier Blog related to the use of Non Protein Nitrogen (NPN) ingredients like urea as a ruminally degradable protein (RDP) source.  Rumen microorganisms that ferment/digest fiber need a certain level of nitrogen available in the rumen that comes from the diet.  Urea is one of the lowest cost means of providing this first limiting nutrient in order for fiber digesting microflora to work efficiently.  A mix of other natural protein ingredients can then provide more slowly degraded protein to the rumen that will be used as microorganisms grow and ferment forages.  If you use supplements that contain high levels of ruminally undegradable protein (RUP) such as feather meal, blood meal or corn gluten meal among others, you should be aware that much of the protein supplied by these ingredients is not digested in the rumen and therefore are not made available for rumen microorganisms.  The key is to fix up the rumen first and then if additional protein is required to meet animal requirements, supplements with high levels of RUP can be optimally used.

As one looks at additives that can help improved forage utilization for Beef cows, the list is generally not very long.  Particularly when looking for products that are labeled for mature beef cows.  We did, however, find a marked improvement in forage digestibility with a natural dehydrated brown seaweed meal called Tasco^®.    This work was conducted at North Dakota State University and the results published in the peer reviewed Journal of Animal Science 2005 83:2938-2945.  A digestibility study was set up to evaluate several feed additives on low quality forages (CP of 6%).  The steers were provided either no supplement, a 40% CP supplement (19% as NPN from urea) or the same 40% CP supplement that contained the Tasco seaweed meal feed additive at 10 grams per head per day.  Supplements were fed at .77 lb per head per day, typical of  CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture block supplements.

The results of the study showed that protein supplementation of low quality hay increased dietary intake and digestibility as we would typically expect.  We also showed that when Tasco seaweed meal was added to the protein supplements, we saw an additional improvement in organic matter digestibility which came predominantly from NDF or fiber digestibility improvements.  The increase in digestibility was approximately a 10% improvement over and above the increases already observed with protein supplementation and resulted in an additive benefit.  This means that if a cow is consuming 25 lbs of hay or forage per day she will realize an added 2.5 lbs of forage digested, just with the addition of Tasco^® in the protein supplement. 

As you are looking for economical ways to stretch your limited forages, first consider protein supplementation and for added returns make sure to ask for CRYSTALYX^®  Tasco^® 35-CP supplement from your local CRYSTALYX^® dealer.  The additional benefit from Tasco^® seaweed meal will pay dividends as the value of forage increases.  Let CRYSTALYX^® Brand Supplements help you get the most out of your forage supplies.

We are still a long way off from knowing the final effects of the most widespread drought in the United States in more than 50 years. Given current market volatility and fears of feed shortages, it only makes sense to do everything in your power to make the most of available feedstuffs. Below are a list of tips that can help you make the most efficient use of available feed.

1.      Reduce the amount of wasted forages.

You can do this by utilizing more efficient methods to feed hay (for instance use of a hay ring instead of a free-standing round bale).  Another method to reduce waste is use of CRYSTALYX^® brand supplements to draw livestock into underutilized areas of pasture to assure maximum grazing coverage.  Additionally, studies have shown that use of CRYSTALYX^® brand supplements helps rumen microbes more efficiently utilize available forages. 

2.      Treat all animals for parasites.

Now is the time to get aggressive in ridding your animals of both internal and external parasites.  Deworm, treat for coccidia and maintain adequate fly and tick control (see Figure 1). You want to make sure that available forages, feeds and supplements go toward supporting your livestock, not parasites.

3.     Have all hay forage tested.

This relatively inexpensive tool will allow you to better allocate available hay to the animals that need it the most. By knowing the nutritional value of available hay, you will be able to make more informed buying decisions when it comes to purchase of supplemental feedstuffs. Contact your local Cooperative Extension agent or feed store employee for more information about forage testing services.

4.      Cull unproductive animals.

If she didn’t give you a calf/kid/lamb this year, now is not the time to give her “one more chance”.  Don’t carry livestock that don’t fit into your genetic parameters. Better to use available feed resources to support superior genetics than to keep mediocre breeding animals.

5.     Use high quality mineral supplements to fill gaps created by commodity feedstuffs.                                                                    

Tight feed markets are going to increase use of “opportunity feeds”. These are the commodity items that you’ve probably not used in the past but are tempted to use now based on availability, price or both.  One of the downsides of utilizing these types of feedstuffs is that while they may contain very high levels of one or more nutrients (i.e. protein), they lack other key nutrients (i.e. trace minerals) and are not balanced. Without the benefit of a high quality supplement, like one of the CRYSTALYX^® Breed-Up^® supplements, to offset potential imbalances, production is likely to suffer in the long run.  Fall and winter are critical times in the production cycle, as most livestock are pregnant. Proper mineral and vitamin nutrition directly affects the developing calf/kid/lamb as well as the dam’s ability to rebreed in a timely manner.

Figure 1.  Each horn fly feeds on the host 10 to 38 times per day. Excessive horn fly infestations tax cattle already stressed by heat and limited feed resources and result in lowered milk production, reduced growth and lowered reproductive efficiency.

2012 has been a tough year for many in our business so far.  The negatives of the drought and its effect on the industry continue to make headlines.  In times such as these I find it important to remind customers, prospects and fellow colleagues of the basic fundamentals of CRYSTALYX^® supplement programs.  During opportune or inopportune times (depending on how you see the glass as ½ full or empty), a lot of producers and sales people study alternatives which means there are new people looking at CRYSTALYX^® programs.

I’ve been fortunate over the years to work with a lot of good sales people and producers in the field of Animal Nutrition and have learned a great deal from the many professionals in our industry.   Whether you are a rancher, farmer, feed professional or involved at any other level of food production in the U.S., you’ve had to learn basic fundamentals of your business and practice them to be successful.  Below I’ve listed what I consider to be three fundamental reasons CRYSTALYX^® is successful, and made reference to some past research.  Much of these areas have been discussed in more detail in past blogs here on www.crystalyx.com. 

CRYSTALYX^® Fundamental Number 1:  Forage utilization

The word supplement means to improve, help, or make better.  This is what CRYSTALYX^® does for forage, especially low quality forages.  What 0.75 pounds of  CRYSTALYX^®  does to stimulate fiber digestibility, increase rate of passage, and improve rumen microbial activity and turnover is classic in terms of what protein supplementation does for utilization of low quality forages.  This is supplement strategy.  The benefits are greater intake of the forage fraction of the diet; which means more energy intake all because of a little protein supplement.  Nutritionists call this Positive Associative Effects.  A Cowman calls it better feed efficiency and the cow herself will call it maintaining Body Condition.   One CRYSTALYX^®  study conducted at Kansas State Univ. in 1997 measured a 19% increase in dry matter intake which translated to a 26% increase in digestible energy intake of steers on low quality forage (< 6% Crude Protein and >70% neutral detergent fiber).  Again, in cow language, this is more energy from low quality forages.  With the ongoing drought, high forage cost and a limited supply, every stem of fiber is important.  

Crystalyx Fundamental Number 2:  Predictable Intake for the ideal delivery mechanism of self-fed supplements

Have you ever heard the adage, “A supplement is only as good as it is consumed?”  CRYSTALYX^® being a molasses based supplement is very palatable and cattle will seek it out and consume it consistently on a daily basis.  Research has proven it’s a great tool to use in attracting cattle to underutilized rangeland/pastureland (when placed farther from water or in difficult terrain) and that cattle prefer CRYSTALYX^® over salt and dry mineral when given the choice.  Consistent intake makes CRYSTALYX^® an attractive supplement in managing costs, and in offering supplemental additives such as feed through fly control compounds (Altosid^® or Rabon^® Oral Larvacide) or the Ionophore Bovatec^® for improved feed efficiency.  In addition to consistent intake, CRYSTALYX^® is fed with virtually no waste and very low time and labor inputs.

Fundamental No. 3 -- Herd health and Productivity

More recent research and production applications with weaning/receiving beef cattle and in dairy production have shown the health benefits of CRYSTALYX^®.  When animals are stressed they don’t eat as well putting them at risk for immune suppression, disease and poor performance.  It has been well noted that when CRYSTALYX^® Brigade^® for beef cattle or Transition Stress Formula™ for dry and fresh dairy cows has been fed, a positive intake of the basal diet dry matter occurs.  CRYSTALYX^® does not replace anything in the basal diet but it will provide important nutrients during stress periods and can help stimulate appetite.  It only makes sense that when cattle consume feed better there is less sickness, less death loss, and more efficient performance.

These are some of the fundamental features and benefits of CRYSTALYX^® programs.  With better forage utilization, consistent intake, and positive health benefits, CRYSTALYX^® performs.   Its reputation and success would not have lasted over 30 years if it didn’t.  Mother Nature always has challenges for beef producers and 2012 is obviously no different.  Put CRYSTALYX^® to work in your herd and help manage the fundamentals of your business.  

Hay is going to be more valuable than ever this year in light of the drought. For this reason, it is critical to maximize usable hay. Round bales are a popular means to harvest hay in many parts of the country. Proper round bale storage can make or break you. If your current storage method is allowing several inches of bale to rot, you might be surprised at how much hay is being wasted. The outer 4 to 6 inches, where most losses occur, make up a large percentage of the bale as shown in Table 1.

Amount of loss depends on several factors including storage method, length of storage, rainfall, bale density and size. Changing the method of storage is the most practical way to decrease hay loss. Table 2 gives average losses for different storage methods.

Hay tarps are an attractive option for many producers because of low initial cost. They are especially popular for hay storage on rented land. Tarps come in many different sizes. Bales size and stacking method will determine tarp size needed and how many bales will fit under one tarp. Hay tarp prices range from $150 to $300 and tend to last from 1 to 5 years. Even if resources do not permit the use of a tarp, several changes can still be made to reduce storage losses outside. 

• Select a well drained area
  

• Get bales off the ground by using rock, poles, tires or pallets

• Do not store under trees
  

• Tightly place bales end to end in a north­-south row
  

• Leave at least 3 ft between rows

• Use individual bale wraps or bonnets

In summary, proper hay storage will reduce overall losses and reduce feeding costs. Make necessary storage changes now to maximize the amount of hay available later. CRYSTALYX^® offers a complete line of economical protein and mineral/vitamin supplements ideal for augmenting stored hay for all types of livestock. For more information about these products and how they can fit into your current management system, contact your local CRYSTALYX^® representative or visit www.crystalyx.com.

Adapted from Univ. of Tennessee publication P&SS Info#300

It is hard to pick up a livestock magazine today without reading about the impact of drought in much of the US.  Grain markets have been responding daily with large increases and cattle markets have soften considerably given the current conditions.   As producers evaluate the amount of forage they have in their pastures and that which will help them make it through the winter, the desire to put up hay or ensile any fiber source they can find, can lead to forages with hidden dangers.  Nitrate poisoning is one that can affect annual crops that may be cut for hay or put into silage given the harsh growing conditions that many are facing.  Below are some general guidelines when dealing with the potential for Nitrate poisoning:

1. Common forages susceptible to Nitrate accumulation include but are not limited to:  corn, barley, oats, millet, rye, sudan grass, sweet clover, soybean, wheat
2. Plant growth closest to the ground have the highest levels of Nitrates
3. Raise the cutter bar above 6 inches to avoid highest accumulations of Nitrates
4. Younger plants have highest levels of Nitrates compared to more mature plants
5. Nitrates accumulate in plants when normal growing conditions are interrupted such as during a drought, frost or periods of cool weather
6. Nitrates are converted to Nitrites and finally to Ammonia which is the normal pathway in Nitrogen metabolism in plants.  Excessive levels of Nitrates can lead to an accumulation of Nitrites in the rumen which is the most toxic form and can lead to toxicity
7. Nitrite is absorbed into red blood cells and interferes with the Oxygen carrying capacity of Hemoglobin which leads to suffocation in livestock  
8. Dilute forages known to contain high levels of Nitrate with forages that are low in Nitrates
9. If high Nitrate forages must be fed, gradually increase the amount fed in the diet so that cattle will adapt to the increased Nitrate levels.
10. Try to avoid over grazing of forages that are high in Nitrates so livestock will not be forced to graze lower plant parts that contain increased Nitrate levels
11. Fill cattle up on low Nitrate forages prior to introduction onto high Nitrate pastures to limit their exposure to large amounts of high Nitrate forages
12. Limit the time that cattle are grazing or are exposed to high Nitrate pastures when first introduced to these pastures
13. Ensiling forages can help reduce the Nitrate levels of forages through the fermentation process
14. Cattle that are in thin condition or that are in poor health are more susceptible to Nitrate toxicity
15. Don’t graze cattle after a killing frost for at least one week if possible with forages high in Nitrates
16. Observe cattle frequently when introducing them to forages high in Nitrates

There are numerous Extension bulletins available on guidelines for grazing forages with high Nitrates for the various regions of the country.  I have listed a few common guidelines that you should consider to help avoid or significantly reduce cattle losses from Nitrate poisoning.  Drought conditions followed by some light rains can interrupt the normal Nitrogen metabolism of plants and result in forages that contain high Nitrate levels leading to toxicity. 

Ruminant animals can deal with many feedstuffs resulting from the drought such as corn or small grains that fall short in crop production.  These do not come without potential health hazards.  Make sure you have your forages tested prior to feeding or pasture turn-out if you have any indications that Nitrate toxicity may be an issue.  The value of cattle is too great to turn a blind eye.

I worked this week in parts of Indiana and Ohio that are in some of the most extreme drought conditions I have seen. The Drought Monitor shows that over half the country is in drought. I observed corn that varied from knee high to shoulder high. All the plants were stressed with curled leaves and many had the bottom leaves fired. Greater than half the plants in the hardest hit areas had no ear or limited kernel development.

Pasture conditions in many areas are very poor and there is a real concern for having enough hay. An option for forage is salvaging the corn as silage or hay. The nutrient value of drought stressed corn silage will be 60-70% of normal corn silage with the biggest difference being that it is much lower in starch. However, the NDF digestibility often will be higher. As we consider our forage needs for the beef herd, there is the potential to harvest several tons per acre of silage or hay. A general rule of thumb is each foot of plant material equals 1 ton of forage per acre. For example, 5 foot tall plants will yield 5 ton/acre. Several items unique to drought stressed corn need to be evaluated.

Nitrate Level

High nitrate levels can be toxic to cattle. Moderate levels can reduce pregnancy rates and high levels can be deadly. Nitrate will reduce the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by attaching to the red blood cells.

Plants under stress will stop taking up nitrogen and stop producing protein. Unused nitrogen will accumulate in the lower parts of that plant as nitrates. With severe and prolonged drought there is less risk of nitrate accumulation in the plant. If there is a rain event, the harvest should be delayed at least 5-7 days. Nitrates tend to accumulate in the bottom third of the plant, so it is recommended to cut at least 12 inches height. It is not advisable to graze or green chop drought stressed corn. Fermentation of silage will reduce the nitrate level by 50-60%. If corn is harvested as hay, there will be NO reduction in the nitrate levels, therefore, standing corn needs to be tested for nitrate before the decision to harvest as hay. Silage offers the advantage of reducing the nitrate levels through fermentation. However, silage is not easy to transport long distances, which make corn hay an attractive option.

Sampling Prior to making hay; 12-15 whole plants should be cut at the harvest height, chopped into 1 inch pieces and mixed. A 0.5 lbs. sample (large freezer bag) should be sent to a commercial forage testing lab for nitrate analysis.

Silage should be allowed to ferment for at least 3 weeks prior to feeding. At that time, a 0.5 lb. sample should be sent to a commercial forage testing lab for nitrate analysis.

Based on the nitrate level in the hay or silage, it may be necessary to dilute the diet with non-nitrate containing feeds to get to a safe level. Work with a nutritionist to determine the best feeding recommendations. Below is a general guideline on nitrate levels.

Nitrate Feeding Guidelines

Source:  Sniffen and Chase 1981, Nitrates in Dairy Rations, Dept. of Animals Science, Cornell University

Suggestions for making corn hay.

1. Know the nitrate level before making hay.
2. Cut the corn with a mower conditioner to speed up the drying process.
3. Consider using a stalk chopper to process the stalks and speed up the drying process.
4. If a rake is used, avoid raking too close to the ground as you want to avoid pulling up roots and the lower portion of the stalk where nitrate may be higher.
5. Use a hay preservative such as BulletProof™ to prevent heating and dry matter loss.  More information can be found at www.bulletproofyourforage.com.

Suggestions for making corn silage.

1. Know the moisture level for proper fermentation.  Ideal moisture level for corn silage is 60-65%.  It is nearly impossible to determine moisture level by visual means as most of the moisture is in the stalk.  Work with a nutritionist to do a dry matter test prior to chopping silage.
2. Cut at 12 inches to reduce the chance of high nitrate levels.
3. Avoid harvesting weed infested areas, as many common weeds will be high in nitrates.
4. Spread the silage in thin layers and pack the silage well.  There will be considerable moisture variation within a field which will make achieving an even pack density difficult.  Poorly packed silage will have more trapped oxygen which will inhibit fermentation.
5. Use a forage preservative such as BulletProof™ to help eliminate trapped oxygen, prevent dry matter loss and speed up fermentation.
6. Allow silage to ferment at least 3 weeks prior to feeding.

The drought of 2012 will be a challenge for many livestock producers.  Salvaging the corn crop as a forage replacement will be a viable option.  Nitrate levels need to be considered, but can be managed.  Corn silage or hay from drought stressed corn can provide some needed tons, and be a good quality feed for the cow herd. 

USDA’s Weekly Crop Condition Report includes pasture conditions for each state.  Pasture conditions are currently as poor for this time of year as seen in the last 16 years.  The data for the whole US and selected states in cattle country are listed below.  Some of the drier and warmer months of the grazing season are still to come and expectations are that pasture conditions will continue to decline. 

USDA Pasture Condition Report, June 17, 2012

Several management factors related to stocking rate need to be considered to address the declining pasture conditions, such as cow body condition, creep feeding and supplementation strategy.  With some modifications we can extend days to graze and delay the need to begin hay feeding.

Cow Body Condition

We hope to have cows in a body condition score of 6 or greater going into the late fall and winter feeding season.  It is much more economical to add condition now as compared to later in the winter.  The CRYSTALYX^® Body Condition Score App is a great tool that creates a pictorial record of individual cow’s body condition. The app is available for both the iPhone and Droid operating systems.  We would expect cows to be adding condition after peak milk production.  Use the Body Condition App to create a record today that can be evaluated again in 30 days.  If cows have not added condition or worse yet, lost body condition, we need to make some adjustments.  

To find out more information in regards to the CRYSTALYX^® Body Condition Score app please click the link below.

http://www.crystalyx.com/news/

Creep Feeding

Creep feed has increased in cost compared to historical prices, but the economic return in added calf weight has never been greater.  Pasture carrying capacity and cow body condition can be improved by utilizing a creep program.  These factors in addition to added calf weight make the economics of creep extremely positive.  Calves on creep will rely less on pasture and mother’s milk.  This takes the nutrient demand off the cow for milk production and can provide more pasture to meet her needs for body condition.

Stocking Rate and Early Weaning

Matching stocking rate of a pasture to the forage production is a key management tool.  This year may be a time when we evaluate this relationship more often.  Moving some cows to other pasture, crop residue or grazing non-traditional forage will help extend the grazing season.  In some areas with the worst pasture condition, we may need to consider early weaning or herd reduction.

Matching Supplement Strategy with Pasture Condition

We have not been able to say the weather has been normal for several years.  That was the case last year in western Minnesota.  Normally July is a very dry month, but some timely rains helped maintain pasture productivity.  However, August turned hot and dry which caused pasture quality to drop rapidly.  As forages mature the protein content declines, fiber content increases and energy content decreases.  Experience and research have shown a positive response to protein supplementation of low quality forage.  Working with a producer in the Holland MN area, we were able to take pasture samples and determine when to change from a mineral type supplement such as Mineral-Lyx ™ to a protein type supplement such as BGF-30™.  This change improved the forage digestibility of the maturing grass.  Cows continued to improve body condition and the producer was able to continue grazing this pasture through the season.

Pastures that are rated as Good to Excellent are the lowest for this time of year as anytime in recent history.  There are several things that can be done to ensure a profitable calf crop this year and getting cows back in proper body condition for a successful calving and breeding season next year.  Monitoring pasture condition, creep feeding, adjusting stocking rate and supplement strategy are items that need to be evaluated often as the summer progresses.

Worried about a drought this year, or perhaps, “again” this year?  If you are not experiencing a drought this year, you have likely experienced one in the past, and you will likely see one in the future.  If you agree with that statement, this information will someday be of use to you.  Perhaps sooner, than later.

 We have known for years that cattle will seek out palatable supplements, and even salt, in pastures.  Research by Dr. Derek Bailey at Havre, MT, has actually quantified this effect.  In doing so, we have seen that low-moisture block (LMB) supplements, like Crystalyx, are much more effective than salt alone, at luring cattle to underutilized areas of pastures.

During periods of drought (or when grasses naturally mature) CRYSTALYX^® supplements can offer you two distinct advantages:

        1.  They can increase the digestibility (energy release) of a low quality (drought stricken) forage

        2.  They will lure your cattle to the underutilized (forage) areas of a pasture, where they may not             normally travel to (lack of water). 

During periods of drought, naturally occurring sources of water may dry up.  This can leave many pastures with areas that cattle avoid, due to lack of water.  Research has shown cattle will travel over a mile from a water source, to consume CRYSTALYX^®.  While the cattle are there, they will also graze the adjacent forage.

The added protein in the CRYSTALYX^® supplements then allow the cattle to unlock even more energy from the forage they consume.  This one-two punch helps your cattle maximize the forage that is out there in a drought.  It may not keep you from having to purchase hay, but it may decrease that purchase. 

If you do have to purchase hay, do not forget to also use CRYSTALYX^® supplements to stretch that forage resource as well.  If you can increase forage digestibility by 10%, remember that 10% of $200 hay is always more than 10% of $100 hay.  Don’t let yourself fall in to the idea that “my hay cost too much to also purchase a supplement.”  If your hay costs more, the return from better utilization also increases.

CRYSTALYX^® Brand self-fed supplements are an excellent way to maximize your returns from a supplement program that’s available 24/7, while minimizing your investment in time, labor and equipment.    

The majority of the research that Ridley Block Operations has conducted on modifying grazing distribution with CRYSTALYX^® has occurred in the Fall.  However, there are good examples of customers using CRYSTALYX^® in the Summer, to modify grazing distribution.

A western South Dakota CRYSTALYX^® dealer had a group of ranchers as customers that were part of a grazing association. They were running their co-mingled cattle on national grasslands. A dry mineral supplier approached the ranchers with a proposal. They were told they could supplement with dry mineral at a cost of no more than 8 cents per-head, per-day (in today’s dollars). The supplier would put out two weeks of mineral and only re-supply every two weeks. The ranchers quickly realized that a limit on how much mineral was delivered could be a problem. If the supply is consumed in a week, the cattle would be without mineral for another week until it was restocked.

The CRYSTALYX^® dealer had a better idea. Because of his own experience with CRYSTAL-PHOS,^® he recommended it to the grazing association. Past experience in his area projected CRYSTAL-PHOS^® intake to be around two ounces per-head, per-day on green Summer grass.

CRYSTAL-PHOS^® is formulated for an intake of a quarter pound in fall and winter when forage is dry and brown and the cattle need more nutrients.  In the summertime, when forage is lush, you’ll likely see about an eighth of a pound, or a two ounce intake.  In the summer, when the grass gets green and things get warmer, it’s difficult to keep the animals on any mineral supplement. You will generally see a lower intake of CRYSTAL-PHOS^® in the summer, but cattle still consume it at acceptable levels.

The dealer told the grazing association they could have a summer supplementation program using CRYSTAL-PHOS^® at a cost of approximately 8 cents per-head, per-day. Better still, the supplement would be continuously available, and placement of the barrels could be used to better manage grazing patterns.  CRYSTALYX^®  supplements have been shown to attract cattle to underutilized areas within a pasture.

The demonstration tracked 1,308 head of cattle in three different pastures during a period from June through August. Using a CRYSTAL-PHOS^® cost of $1,350 per ton, the average cost across all pastures and all cattle was 7.6 cents per-head, per-day, and the average consumption was 1.8 ounces per-head, per-day.

The US Forest Service that ovesees the National Grasslands evidently also agreed that the CRYSTAL-PHOS^® impacted grazing distribution.  When Ranchers asked (at the end of the grazing season), if they could go back to one pasture that was only lightly grazed earlier in the summer, the reply from the Forest Service was, “If you put out CRYSTAL-PHOS^® barrels, you can.”

CRYSTALYX^® supplements provide needed nutrition with minimal equipment and labor costs, while also helping to harvest underutilized grass in your pastures.  That is a win, win, win situation!

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.