When grass is plentiful, the feeding of extra energy as concentrates to late lactation cows may be uneconomic – especially with prices the way they are right now. Grass dry matter intakes can be depressed and replaced with the concentrates such that any increase in total energy intake will be relatively small.
What is needed is a supplementary feed which complements and balances the grass, rather than replacing it. Feeding Crystalyx in the milking parlour allows better targeting of concentrates to high yielding cows for more efficient milk production.
Feeding Crystalyx in the milking parlour gives low yielding cows something to lick which helps to keep them quiet and settled and allows concentrates to be targeted at the higher yielders and fresh calvers which will respond to the additional concentrates much more efficiently.
When fed in the parlour, the short access time limits Crystalyx intakes to approx 100g/day (~50g/milking) so, for full provision of supplementary minerals at grass, Crystalyx should also be fed in the paddock, to ensure the lower yielders can top up their requirements.
Independent university studies have clearly shown that Crystalyx can stimulate the rumen bugs to digest forage faster and with improved efficiency! Any increase in the speed of rumen fermentation of forage is likely to increase forage intakes (due to a reduced gut fill effect) whilst improved digestive efficiency releases more energy from the forage consumed. Both scenarios increase the digestible energy intake of the cow.
Crystalyx really does take some licking!
