Turning stock out to grass in spring comes as a relief to many farmers, but animal performance and health can suffer if stock are not maintained on a nutritionally balanced diet. Careful supplementation at grass can be catalyst for enhanced animal performance and improved profitability. Crystalyx Cattle High-Mag, Crystalyx Cattle Booster and Crystalyx Garlyx offer tailored supplementation throughout the grazing season.
The Need For Magnesium
Lactating cows (both beef and dairy) are particularly prone to hypomagnesaemia after turnout to spring grass because they have a high requirement for magnesium for milk production. The higher the milk yield, the higher the daily magnesium requirement.
Although the annual rate of hypomagnesaemia/staggers/tetany (low blood magnesium) in UK cows is less than 1%, one third of affected cows will die. There are no hormonal mechanisms in the body to allow cows to regulate their blood magnesium levels. Maintaining blood magnesium levels is therefore entirely dependent on short term (daily) absorption of magnesium from the diet because the magnesium stored within the body is not readily mobilised by the cow.
Hypomagnesaemia can occur due to a low magnesium intake (due to low levels in grass when grass alone is fed) or because the magnesium has a low availability (a poor efficiency of absorption) within the cow.
Crystalyx Cattle High-Mag
Contains 10.5% magnesium from a unique blend of 3 different magnesium sources and is formulated with dehydrated molasses to ensure palatability even on lush spring grass. Independent research at Glasgow Vet School has confirmed the availability of the magnesium in Crystalyx Cattle High-Mag is superior to any other pure calcined magnesite source evaluated at Glasgow (so the magnesium is more efficiently absorbed and of better value to the cow).
And because Cattle High-Mag contains the full range of essential trace elements and vitamins often lacking in grass, the risk of other nutrient deficiencies is also reduced.
Maintain Performance at Grass with Crystalyx Cattle Booster
Youngstock have no need for a high magnesium supplement in spring because their requirements can be met from magnesium in the grass. But grass is deficient in other essential nutrients.
When grass is plentiful, the feeding of extra energy as concentrates to growing cattle may be uneconomic – especially on spring grass. 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.
Crystalyx Cattle Booster Improves Daily Live Weight Gain
In a trial conducted by SAC, yearling heifers turned out onto spring grass, with access to Crystalyx Cattle Booster, gained 5kg more than control heifer on grass alone, in the 6 weeks after turnout!
The result is due to a more efficient rumen fermentation when Crystalyx is fed. Feeding Crystalyx stimulates the rumen bugs making them work harder so they digest forages more effectively and efficiently. This helps improve overall diet digestibility and hence animal performance.
Crystalyx Cattle Booster Improves Fertility
In a similar trial heifers were pregnancy synchronised and AI’d whilst at grass and pregnancy diagnosis undertaken at housing, immediately at the end of the trial. 92% of the heifers fed Crystalyx at grass were pregnant, compared with 80% of the control heifers.
Crystalyx Cattle Booster provides 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.
Reduce the risk of fly strikes and insect bites with Crystalyx Garlyx
During the warm days of summer flies can be a constant pest of grazing cattle. Their buzzing and biting annoys stock, making them nervous and restless, forcing stock to expend energy in fending them off. This reduces the time spent grazing – and hence forage intakes – resulting in a significant loss of performance in young growing cattle.
However, a potentially more serious consequence of excessive biting fly activity, is that they can carry infection from one animal to the next, in particular spreading the organisms causing summer mastitis.
One method of reducing irritation from flies and other biting insects in grazing stock is to make the animals’ coat less attractive on which to land.
A Natural Insect Repellent
The peculiar penetrating odour of garlic is due to the intensely smelling sulphuret of allyl, a high sulphur compound. When consumed by stock this high sulphur compound is expelled through pores in the skin, via natural body secretions such as sweat. This effect will be further reinforced as the animal grooms and licks itself. This produces an invisible barrier or screen which flies and other nuisance biting insects find repellent and hostile.
Together with the natural insect-repellent properties of garlic, Crystalyx Garlyx also contains a full complement of essential minerals, trace elements and vitamins – especially zinc to help maintain skin integrity and strength to further guard against biting insects – and to balance the recognised deficiencies in summer grass.
So, whatever the time of year, there is a Crystalyx feed lick to help keep your stock healthy and performing at their optimum!
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