With raw material and feed costs at an all-time high, farmers are bracing themselves for an expensive winter.
Grass and conserved home-grown forages are the cheapest feeds for livestock, but they are so much more valuable when digested more efficiently and supplemented to balance and cancel out any nutritional deficiencies.
Crystalyx does just this, and its extensive research, knowledge and experience is available to back up these products.
Crystalyx is a dehydrated molasses-based feed lick, which means it not-only balances the nutritional deficiencies in forages but makes the rumen bugs work a little harder and more efficiently at digesting the forage and releasing more nutrition for the farm livestock.
Crystalyx may not be the cheapest product per tonne on the market, but due to its hard physical structure, it doesn’t break up in bad weather and livestock can only lick it, not chew and bite it.
This means that Crystalyx intakes are lower than other products (up to three times lower), so whilst other products might be cheaper per tonne, their higher daily intake by stock means the cost/animal/day is actually higher than Crystalyx – and that is what matters.
Studies
Studies undertaken at Newcastle and Aberystwyth universities confirm that ewes flushed on autumn grass and supplemented with ‘Crystalyx Extra High Energy’ gained more weight faster and had 12-20% higher lamb numbers at scanning than control ewes on good grass alone.
Crystalyx intakes averaged 35-50g/ewe/day in the studies. This compares to some other feed licks that have recommended intakes of up to 150g/ewe/day.
The research further showed that with continued access to Crystalyx Extra High Energy throughout mid-pregnancy, ewes maintained better body condition right up to lambing, so they were able to milk better for improved lamb performance on spring grass.
A trial at Aberystwyth University with growing Holstein heifers on autumn grass, gave equally good results.
Heifers were initially 11 months old and weighed 240kg. Grass availability was tight, so both groups of heifers were fed 1.25kg/head/day of sugar beet pulp nuts.
With additional access to ‘Crystalyx Cattle Booster’, the Crystalyx-fed heifers had gained an extra 11kg liveweight over the controls by the end of the trial (+176g/day more) – a 27% increase in daily liveweight gain (DLWG), with a Crystalyx intake of only 108g/heifer/day.
Comparable results were seen in Germany, with larger Holstein heifers (approx. 525kg) grazing adjacent paddocks of good grass.
With access to Crystalyx Cattle Booster, the heifers gained 18kg more liveweight over the course of the 103-day study (mid-July to end of October), than the control heifers on grass alone – a 25% increase in DLWG, with a Crystalyx intake of only 106g/heifer/day.
Consistent performance
So, how can such low intakes of Crystalyx give such good – and consistent – increases in animal performance?
By making the rumen bugs work a little more efficiently, Crystalyx enhances forage digestibility and intakes – so animals get more from what they eat. Even when forage availability is limited (as in the Aberystwyth heifer study) intakes are unlikely to be increased.
However, the enhanced digestibility that Crystalyx brings about, still results in significant improvements and animal performance.
Feeding Crystalyx to late-pregnant dairy cows is not about improving daily liveweight gain, but preparing the cows to calve down easily and provide for a healthy transition into lactation.
Three studies undertaken in New Zealand, by the University of Auckland, with group sizes averaging approximately 200 cows, confirmed that access to ‘Crystalyx Pre-Calver’ maintained normal blood magnesium and calcium levels right up to calving.
Significantly, this led to a reduced incidence and severity of any milk fever at calving whilst mitigating incidence of mastitis in early lactation.
Comparable results were recorded by Parma University. Research scientists there further reported that colostrum IgG yield of the Crystalyx-fed cows was double that of the control cows.
All Crystalyx-fed cows transitioned faster and easier into lactation.
Value-for-money feed
When it comes to giving value for money, Crystalyx is not only one of the cheapest products to feed (from as little as 6c ewe/day and 15c heifer/day), it has been proven time and time again to deliver exceptional animal performance!
Michael O’Sullivan farms at Dromoughty, near Kenmare in Co. Kerry. He runs a 250-strong ewe flock in tandem with 80 replacements.
His Mayo Blackface (Horned) ewes are put to a selection of Cheviot rams. Michael buys-in his flock replacements. Lambing gets underway around the middle of April.
Michael puts Crystalyx Extra High Energy feed blocks with the ewes in the run-up to the breeding season and has been very impressed with the results achieved.
“We normally have plenty of grass during the autumn period. But the feed blocks still make a genuine difference,” he said.
“The ewes lose no body condition at all throughout the winter. The ewes carrying singles are maintained on a combination of grazed grass and the Crystalyx block right through to lambing and beyond.”
Luke Morgan, from Crystalyx, was a recent visitor to the O’Sullivan farm.
He pointed out that Crystalyx Extra High Energy feed buckets can significantly and economically improve flock performance.
“Crystalyx also increases forage digestibility so animals actually get more energy out of what they eat. These benefits continue throughout the grazing season, as long as forage supplies remain plentiful,” he said.
“The Extra High Energy buckets provide all the minerals, trace elements and vitamins needed to balance grass, which is essential for optimum animal performance and health.
“But the rumen bugs also need minerals to help them digest the grass and the little and often trickle feeding system supplied by Crystalyx is an ideal method of ensuring this.
“Crystalyx also provides a concentrated source of sugar. This is important to help maintain rumen digestive efficiency.”
Luke also confirmed that Extra High Energy buckets can be used the year round.
“Flock owners will use the buckets prior to breeding, in the run up to lambing and, again, after the ewes have gone out to the fields with their newborn lambs. It’s all about improving performance from grazed grass,” he added.
“The Extra High Energy feed blocks are eligible for the Sheep Welfare Scheme. As a result, they represent a win:win option from every perspective.”
Take a sneak peak inside the Crystalyx manufacturing site to find out what makes Crystalyx blocks completely unique to all other blocks available.
To shop Crystalyx products, click here.
