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One of the more recent technological advancements with widespread acceptance is the smart phone. At one time, the use of these devices as a mobile phone was all that was really asked for.  As time marches on their functionality has increased dramatically. Texting, alarms, calculators, unique ring tones, camera, email, GPS capabilities, web access, only to name a few. And if you have not been over-run by the App world, let’s just say you must not be very hip… 

I actually fall into this latter category, not being very hip that is, with my reluctance to give up the phone that I have used for years since I still don’t know half of what it can do. My evaluation of the Apps or “Application Software” that first came on the scene for smart phones, was that they were basically games that provided activities to kill time. I know there were some that actually provided some useful information or performed some meaningful tasks, but I would have to say that when I saw most people using them they were trying to get a personal best at rolling toilet paper or to see how far they could fling an angry bird. Or something like that.

But when you look at the portability, connectivity, versatility and the adoption of the smart phones you just have to start thinking, “how can we use this technology to help our customers?” There has to be something that we can put together that uses such an intelligent device that can help us with improving our efficiencies, data collection, developing more visual tools for product training, managing our production and/or expenses, etc. I think you get the picture. 

That is where our journey begins as we put our toe in the water for designing Apps that are applicable to the beef cattle industry. Our first efforts will be demonstrated next week at the NCBA Convention in Nashville, TN and the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, SD and is available at your iPhone or Android App stores now. We have designed an App that we feel can be very useful in helping Beef Cow-Calf producers to better manage the nutrition program for their cow herd. So how can that happen with the use of a Smart Phone?

 The CRYSTALYX^® Beef Cow BCS App is available on iOS (Iphone) and Android platforms (See Home Menu Screen shot). 

You simply download the App and then head to the pasture and take profile pictures of your cows.  You can compare them to reference photos (see App photo comparison screen) of cows that represent Body Condition Scores from 1 to 9.

Determine the BCS that best describes each cow and save it within the App for future reference. If you would like to arrange your cows by pasture, that functionality is also available. You can then use these stored images as references at any point in the future to determine how best to manage your nutrition program to make sure your cows breed and calve in a timely manner. 

Visit your phone's App store or scan the QR codes below to go directly to the App market.

Android Market:

Apple (IOS) Market:

I had the opportunity to attend two beef industry gathering events this past week that brought together producers and beef industry partners in the plains and western United States. The first was the Outlook and Strategies Seminar offered by CattleFax that painted current and future economic opportunities in the beef cattle business and our overall economy. There were a number of talks that covered a wide variety of topics impacting the beef industry. The bottom line…  It is a great time to be in the beef cow-calf business! This also has strong signals that it will not just be a year or two but indications are that it could last three to five years before market conditions begin to fall. Now, there are always regional issues that can crop up, like the recent drought in the Southern part of the U.S., in addition to other environmental or economic factors that can temper just how good of a ride the cow-calf segment of the industry will have, but right now I would have to say the future has never looked so bright!
 
The other event, which is always a great producer gathering in the cow-calf business, was the Range Beef Cow Symposium held in Mitchell, Neb. The Cooperative Extension Services sponsor this symposium that is held every other year and rotated between the four states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. The content is focused on production systems specific to cow-calf producers and covers a wide range of topics.

There will always be certain events or market factors that could change the potential returns to cow-calf producers but more than likely plans should be made based on calf prices that are expected to average $175 per cwt. based on a 550 lb. steer calf for 2012. There are also indications or times of the upcoming year where projections closer to $200 per cwt. might be expected (see attached chart). CattleFax has shown that cow-calf producers have not only been profitable since 1997 but in  the next few years they will have record profits that could range between $200 and $300 per head or higher. These profits are well over three times what producers enjoyed within the last decade.

If you have gotten to this point in the article, this is generally where many start pointing fingers to increased costs associated with inputs like feed, supplements, animal health products, fuel, cash rents, etc. There is no question that production costs have been on the increase as well. Many of the feed or supplement cost increases are a direct result in higher commodity prices that farmers are receiving for the cereal grains that they produce. Because the cow-calf industry is primarily dependent on forage systems, those producers who own or have access to low-cost forages, which can also include crop residues, will be more insulated from increases in feed costs when compared to the feeding segment of the industry. Of course, extended drought conditions can cancel this advantage once you start trucking feed to maintain a cow herd. Even though there may be some increases with inputs, the prices that cow-calf producers are projected to receive will more than outpace the increase one can expect with input costs.

So what does all of this mean to cow-calf producers. It certainly doesn’t mean that you can become more careless or pay less attention to the details of running a profitable operation. At the same time, I would say that the criteria you used to make decisions in the past, may not provide the same conclusions when you pencil in $1.75 or $2.00 calves.
 
Return on investment (ROI) for inputs or practices where you might have questioned their returns in the past, may now be something you should definitely be considering. One example might be simply the total value of calves. How many open cows, fewer cows calving in the first 21 days, lighter weaning weights or sick calves can you afford when they are worth $1050 versus $720 per 600 lb. calf ($1.75 vs. $1.20/lb.)? Inputs that can help you achieve added weaning weights or healthy calves are more important now, than they ever were with the dramatic increase in calf value.
 
Nutritional supplements, preventative health inputs, feed additives or management practices that can make sure cows produce a healthy calf and breed back as early in the breeding season as possible, more easily pay for themselves in addition to increasing calf value with improved health and/or added gains. These inputs are not only confined to the cow-herd. Supplemental inputs for stockers on forage-based growing programs should also be evaluated for improving returns. I would challenge you to take another look when your local animal health or feed rep pulls into your yard. Current beef industry economics dictate that you reevaluate the potential returns and would highly recommend that you take the time to do the math!

We have all heard sayings like “a little dab will do ya”, “less is more”, “a little ______ goes a long way” or a number of others that refer to how a very small input can result in a large output or response!  If you are interested in exploiting this concept when evaluating your inputs for the beef cow herd, there is no doubt you either are a low-moisture block (LMB) supplement customer currently, or should consider LMB supplements as an option for delivering supplemental nutrition.
 
What are some of the benefits of thinking small and why do these characteristics fit so well into a beef cow-calf production system?  Beef cow herds are required to produce the calf crops that are eventually harvested as beef.  Any extra resources that are expended to maintain a commercial cowherd over and above those required to raise a healthy calf to weaning age with an acceptable body weight, usually go unrewarded.  This means that there is no financial benefit for overfeeding a cow herd.
 
Managing cow weight throughout the year is critical to the financial success of a beef cow-calf enterprise and matching cow requirements to forage growing conditions further minimizes the need for supplemental inputs.  Beef cows will store energy by increasing their fat reserves with increased body condition when nutrient supplies exceed requirements and is typically observed during summer grazing when pastures are actively growing.  Cows can rely on these body stores to help them through the winter periods when forage availability and quality usually diminish in order to perform at the required levels as described above.
 
This is where small strategic delivery of supplemental nutrition can help cows maintain their body weight more easily without furnishing significant quantities of the diet.  The key dietary resource for most cow-calf systems is ample forage availability.  As quality of forages fluctuate and diminish at the end of the growing season the most critical nutrient to help maximize forage utilization is protein delivery.  Ruminants have a unique ability to extract energy by fermenting fiber from forages.  A consistent supply of small quantities of nitrogen that is degradable in the rumen from free-choice protein supplements can be a highly effective way of optimizing rumen fermentation, low cost forages and ultimately cow performance.
 
The key for managing the beef cow herd is matching inputs that provide optimal production. Operations that optimize nutritional inputs for a beef cow herd rarely maximize cow body weight performance.  Rather, optimal nutrition supplements provide the herd timely inputs that improve forage utilization so they produce a live, healthy calf that weans at an acceptable body weight, while maintaining a yearly calving interval.  Heavy cows with excess body condition are not the target for profitable cow-calf herds.
 
What are the little things in CRYSTALYX^® supplements that provide big returns?
 
1)      CRYSTALYX^® LMB supplements provide the first incremental units of nutrient delivery.  This may not always maximize production responses but it provides supplemental nutrients that contribute to consistent, profitable results of a beef cow herd.
2)      Reduced need for supplement processing, storage or delivery equipment.  CRYSTALYX^® supplements come ready to place in the pasture.  No additional preparation, processing, shelf-life considerations or storage facilities are required.  There is no need to spend extra capital in equipment or facilities for CRYSTALYX^® supplements.
3)      Self-fed supplement availability greatly reduces costs associated with more frequent feeding requirements of other supplement options.  This advantage can be even more important during periods of inclement weather when feeding livestock is difficult and unsafe for producers.
4)      Predictable intakes of CRYSTALYX^® mean predictable and affordable cost per head per day without the worry of excessive consumption.
5)      CRYSTALYX^® is virtually waste-free.  There are essentially no losses associated with feeding CRYSTALYX^® LMB supplements under a variety of wet, windy, hot, cold or dry conditions.
6)      Dehydrated molasses LMB products like CRYSTALYX^® contain little moisture resulting in supplements with the highest dry matter delivery compared to other types in the market.  This reduces transportation and handling expenses of supplements that contain higher levels of water.
 
If you are in the cow-calf business and are evaluating your supplementation program, consider how CRYSTALYX^® LMB supplements can help you manage your cow herd body weight and condition without the significant investment in delivering other supplemental nutrition programs.  While cost per ton is higher when compared to other forms of supplement, once you evaluate daily consumption, self-fed delivery, low requirements for other processing, storage or frequency of delivery costs, you will surely be surprised at the cost effectiveness of the CRYSTALYX^® supplement program.  You may even come up with a new saying - a little lick of CRYSTALYX^® will do ya!

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.

Once the bulls have been turned out and your herd has settled into their summer grazing routine, it’s easy to overlook some of the more obvious management clues when monitoring your cow herd.  Although beef cows can be very forgiving at times, it is much more difficult to catch-up if you avoid timely management corrections.  Below are a few summer time management reminders to help you stay on top of your herd and maintain performance that ensures profitable returns.
 
1. Forage availability:  Do your cows have an unlimited supply of forage available for grazing?  Depending upon your grazing system, in most situations a good benchmark is to adhere to the rule of “graze half – leave half.”  If your pastures are beginning to look like a parking lot, you are probably affecting two things; cow and calf performance in addition to future pasture productivity!  Be sure to make timely decisions in moving cattle to new pastures once depleted and/or introduce supplementation programs that maximize forage utilization.  The southern U.S. is currently in a severe drought and forage availability will dictate stocking rates, culling rates and supplement programs that are used to best manage the cow herd.

2. Forage quality:  As temperatures increase and summer moisture conditions diminish, grasses mature more quickly along with a reduction in forage quality.  Protein supplementation is especially helpful when these conditions exist to help maintain both cow and calf performance.  The additional protein should be a good source of ruminally degradable protein in order to maximize microbial fermentation.  The goal is to maximize fiber digestibility that extracts the full energy potential of forage diet.  This is where a little protein can go a long way in maintaining cow weight and body condition.
 
3. Mineral and vitamin supplement access:  Make sure your herd has access to a free-choice mineral and vitamin supplement while on pasture.  Many areas of the U.S. or different seasons of the year, lend themselves to nutrient deficiencies that can limit cow herd reproductive efficiencies or negatively impact cow/calf health or performance.  Some examples can include:

• Copper deficiencies or antagonisms that reduce trace mineral utilization
• Low Magnesium levels in lush spring pastures or forages high in potassium content that interfere with Magnesium utilization can lead to grass Tetany
• Endophyte infected fescue pastures
• Selenium deficient soils
• Low phosphorus forages
• Water sources that are high in sulfates which can interfere with trace mineral absorption
• Other nutrient imbalances or antagonisms from soil, water or forages

 
4. Don’t neglect your mineral/vitamin feeders:  It is extremely easy to let free-choice mineral feeders go empty for extended periods of time.  This causes highly erratic intakes in vitamin and mineral consumption as cattle go without and then over consume when finally given access to fresh mineral.  Consistent mineral absorption is better achieved when consumption is also consistent.  Large amounts of mineral are wasted via excretion when excessive mineral intakes occur.  Make sure free-choice supplements are meeting intake expectations and are available at all times to limit waste and maximize animal performance on pasture.
 
5. Feed-through fly control:  An easy and effective way to manage flies and improve calf weaning weights on pasture is with a feed-through larvacide or insect growth regulator.  Although the specific fly species that are controlled will vary depending upon the product, the principle in delivery is the same for each type.  Animals need consistent delivery of either larvacide or insect growth regulator to keep adult fly populations in check.  This can only be accomplished if the free-choice product that contains these additives is consumed early in the fly season and then consistently provided throughout the fly season without interruption.   It is closely related to the previous discussion on free-choice vitamins and minerals as these are used most often as their method of delivery.  It is also a great opportunity to use a highly palatable product like CRYSTALYX^® low-moisture block supplements because of their ability to provide consistent uniform daily intakes.  If you plan to invest in a feed-through fly control program, be sure to manage intakes for optimal performance.
 
6. Provide a balanced nutrition program:  A balanced nutrition program is a key part of maintaining herd health and productivity.  While pastures provide much of the dietary requirements for the cow herd certain environmental, seasonal or geographical factors can lend themselves to unique health, performance or reproductive challenges.  Most cattlemen will agree that treating cattle on pasture is a labor intense activity that should be avoided whenever possible.  Some common health issues where prevention is surely preferable over treatment include: Frothy Bloat, Grass Tetany, Pink Eye or Foot Rot to name a few.  Genetic and reproductive goals also influence nutritional program inputs as to the level of supplemental nutrition required to meet the production demands specific to your cow herd.  Shorting your herd in nutrient inputs opens the door for these health issues to creep in and chip away at your profitability.
 
Frequently check your cow herd and pasture conditions to be sure they are meeting your production goals.  It is much easier and almost always much more economical to make small, timely adjustments than to wait too long and shift from a preventive mode to a treatment or rescue situation.  Long-term profitability is at the top of the list for herd goals and small investments that maintain productivity usually pay dividends at weaning!

Most producers can’t wait for green grass to appear in the Spring and cattle to be turned out on pastures soon after. The demands for supplemental nutrition and feeding programs go by the wayside and thoughts turn to farming activities, breeding cows, making hay, etc. It is a great time to be in the cattle business as your herd does what it does best, turn forages into lean red meat or breed up for next year’s crop.

Most often, forages can provide ample energy for optimal cow, or stocker performance, especially early in the grazing season. Free-choice mineral and vitamin supplementation is a convenient way to deliver macro and micro nutrients required for optimal cow herd reproduction stocker animal performance. These supplements are critical for providing grazing livestock key nutrients or feed additives that maximize production while on pasture. Delivery of trace minerals, macro minerals or feed additives that can include fly control products or ionophores simply make these types of supplements critical for both cow herd and stocker animal performance. They come in a variety of self-fed forms such as loose granular meals, pressed mineral blocks or low-moisture blocks or tubs.

There are also times, such as those we are experiencing in the Southern part of the U.S., where extremely dry environmental conditions disrupt normal grazing and historical nutrition programs and cause us to look at alternative means in order to avoid what could be small reductions in pregnancy rates or even large losses in animal performance if pasture conditions erode quickly.

Drought conditions can speed up the maturity of forages as well as diminish the quantity or supply of forages that are available for your herd. The ability of pastures to support rapid gains in animal performance goes down as forages mature. In drought conditions, supplemental protein can help maintain animal performance and stretch your pastures as forage quality declines. As drought persists and forage availability becomes limiting, supplemental protein becomes less of a benefit because actual energy in the diet becomes limiting. Diet replacement with supplemental hay will become necessary once pasture conditions have been depleted.

Major decisions need to be made for retaining the core breeding herd. If stocking rates surpass the amount of forage that is available, energy will become limiting and stocker weight gains or cow condition will soon deteriorate. Stocker cattle are some of the more dispensable assets in grazing programs as they are destined for the feed yards. They can simply be moved to the yards sooner rather than later. A cow herd on the other hand is an investment in genetics as well as the base investment from which cow-calf producers draw their annual income. Rather than trying to hold on to the entire breeding herd if drought conditions persist, business decisions need to be made to determine if purchased feeds can support a smaller genetic base as opposed to a complete dispersal. The Southern part of the U.S. is under severe drought conditions and many of these areas have already run out of grass to maintain their herds.

It is hard to believe the differences that exist in the U.S. in terms of pasture and forage conditions from the deep south to the northern plains. Excessive spring moisture conditions in many areas in the midwest and central U.S. have resulted in an abundant supply of forages and tremendous pasture conditions. The situation is reversed for most of Texas, NM, Arizona and other southern states. It may be tempting to skip out on supplemental inputs when forage supplies are abundant, but mineral and vitamin supplements fed at low levels provide critical nutrients that make sure performance is optimized. If you are facing extremely dry conditions, be proactive in your nutrition program by extending your forages and pastures with supplemental protein. If dry conditions persist, have a plan in place to maintain your core breeding herd so you will be prepared to get back into production once moisture returns.

1. Forages may be deficient in nutrients that can limit animal performance whether it be cow reproductive efficiencies, calf health, and growth or stocker gains.

2. Stocker cattle and replacement heifers can easily gain up to 10% more on grass if provided a feed additive such as Rumensin^®, Bovatec^® or GainPro^®. There are a number of free-choice delivery methods available that have FDA approval for use in stocker cattle and replacement heifers.

3. A variety of free-choice supplements provide EPA approved delivery of feed-through fly control larvacides or insect growth regulators that can help reduce losses in particular with the presence of horn flies. Some compounds have additional fly specie approval including, stable flies, house flies and face flies.

4. Recent cattle market prices in combination with high grain prices have increased the urgency to get as much gain on forage-based programs as possible prior to cattle arriving in the feed yard. Supplements can greatly assist stocker operators in achieving aggressive weight gain to optimize pasture resources.

5. Free-choice supplement may be strategically located in pastures to help improve forage utilization by getting the most out of your land and forage resources.

6. Early in the growing season, Grass Tetany conditions can result in sudden death losses in mature lactating beef cows. Providing consistent delivery of a readily available Magnesium supplement can help prevent losses from Grass Tetany.

7. Drought conditions, late in the growing season and especially with stockpiled winter pasture, protein content of the forages will most often drop below animal requirements and performance will be reduced. Small additions of protein supplement will improve forage digestibility and prevent animal performance losses.

8. Mineral and vitamin supplementation on pasture is critical for maximizing animal performance and providing nutrients required for maintaining animal health.

9. Organic or chelated forms of trace minerals can be beneficial where there are extreme deficiencies or levels of antagonizing minerals that interfere with the use of trace minerals required for optimum animal performance. Organic  forms of Copper and Zinc in a mineral supplement will help overcome mineral antagonists that can be present in certain regions of the country or water sources.

10. High-producing purebred herds will require additional supplemental inputs to ensure that they perform to their genetic potential and maximize reproductive efficiencies.  Herds with greater than commercial market value are much more of an investment to protect and ensure that they have every opportunity to pass on their traits whenever possible.

We’re excited to begin communicating with customers on the Block Blog! Our goal is to share timely information and to provide information to help you manage your livestock operation.

On these pages you’ll find information on nutrition related topics, strategies for improving animal performances and efficiencies, and methods for increasing profitability.

One of our primary areas of interest is supplementation that will help you get more from your forages and pastures – resources you already have. We’ll focus on ways to help optimize your returns on land, time, labor and capital to keep you competitive in a changing livestock industry.

We have made significant investments in Research and Development. Some of our blog topics may include these findings that support our recommendations. Others may simply offer a better understanding of a topic from a nutritional point of view.

Seven members of our technical staff, identified below, will contribute to this blog. Our technical team works closely with producers, our sales team, dealers and distributors in providing nutritional solutions over a wide variety of product applications, geographies, forage types and production systems.

These bloggers are located throughout the U.S., so you can be confident that we can assist you with your nutritional needs regardless of where you live. You’re invited to submit questions or comment on blog posts at any time.

Jackie Nix, MS
Nutritionist

Education: BS Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; MS Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC 

Past livestock industry work experience: Cooperative Extension agent, eastern North Carolina  1994-2000
       
A description of yourself and your work interest: Jackie is a native of eastern Ohio. Upon finishing up her education she worked for 6 years with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service as a county agent where she developed an expertise in goat production. Now Jackie offers technical support for CRYSTALYX® products with a special emphasis on educational support.  She also has quality assurance duties.

What motivates me:  I am a proud member of the animal science industry. I am not only committed to my role in producing the safest, most economical human food in the world, but also in defending agriculture and telling the agriculture story to those with non-agriculture backgrounds.

Teri Walsh, MS 
Nutritionist

Education: BS in Animal Science, MS in Animal Science Ruminant Nutrition, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD

Past livestock industry work experience:  Southern University Agricultural Research and Outreach Center, Baton Rouge, LA, Research Associate 2003-2007    

A description of yourself and your work interest: Teri is a native of western Iowa. Following her graduate program at SDSU, she worked for 4 years at the Southern University Ag Center with emphasis on small ruminants and small farmers. Today Teri’s interests center on ruminant nutrition (large and small), technical support for producers as well as working with our plants to ensure safe, dependable and consistent products.

What motivates me:  I’m motivated by a love for raising livestock. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to grow up on a livestock operation in small town Iowa. Now I’m in a position to work with producers across the country to find a product that will enhance their livestock’s performance and profitability. It’s great to be able to give back to and work in an industry that’s near and dear to me.

Jon Albro, MS 
Nutritionist

Education: B.S. Animal Science; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; M.S. Ruminant Nutrition; Oregon State University-Corvallis
 
Past livestock industry work experience: Dairy Research Assistant – University of Idaho; 1992-1993. PM Ag Products, Sales & Marketing Positions – Pacific Northwest, California, Texas, and Corporate Office in Illinois; 1993-1997. Ridley Block Operations - Account Manager; 1997-present.
          
A description of yourself and your work interest:  I have been involved in the Feed business for 18 years and have had great experiences all across the United States and Canada. My educational experience involved supplement strategies to improve forage utilization in beef cattle, and that same discipline has carried into my Feed Industry experience. Supporting the sales and marketing of free-choice block supplements has been my main career focus working with Ridley Block Operations.
 
What motivates me: Customers in the livestock business and the feed business it supports are my career motivators. Not many people in North America devote so much time and effort to their business as do those in the livestock industry.  It’s truly a way of life.  I have lived and worked in rural America and the animal agriculture industry my entire life.  I enjoy the process of our business; manufacturing and selling, but the most rewarding of all is to see our customers succeed in part by our efforts.

Tim Clark, MS 
Nutritionist

Education: MS in Dairy Science/Ruminant Nutrition at University of Kentucky, Lexington KY

Past livestock industry work experience: Doboy Feeds, New Richmond, WI, Lead Nutritionist; Clark Dairy, Battle Creek, IA, owner; Gray Hawk Dairy, McKee, KY, herdsman and employee manager

A description of yourself and your work interest:  Tim grew up on a dairy and beef farm in Kentucky. His Masters research focused on mineral metabolism, specifically the role of copper in immune function and reproduction of ruminants.  He spent 10 years in dairy production managing and then owning a dairy prior to entering the feed industry.  His roles in the feed industry have focused on technical and sales support for nutritionists and sales consultants as they develop programs that help beef and dairy producers improve profitability.    

What motivates me:  I look forward to the challenge of helping our customers expand the products, programs and services they offer that generate higher returns for their beef and dairy producers.  My focus is improving income over feed cost through greater forage utilization and improving animal health thus enhancing efficiency by producing more pounds with fewer inputs.

Dan Colling, MS 
Nutritionist

Education: BS & MS University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Past livestock industry work experience: Liquid Feed Commodities, 10 years in Eastern and Central Nebraska, selling liquid feeds to mostly feedlots, formulating rations, feedlot consulting. Farmland Industries, 10 years in Nebraska, Western Iowa, Eastern South Dakota, Technical Services Nutritionist. Farmland Industries, 7 years in Corporate Office, multitude of duties. Acadian Agri-Tech, Technical rep in charge of US sales efforts including R&D. Ridley Block Operations, Technical Services Nutritionist.

A description of yourself and your work interest: I enjoy working with all the different climates and operations across the US. It can be a challenge to find a product that fits the producer’s pocketbook while meeting the animal requirements.  I enjoy finding the happy medium satisfying to the salesman, dealer, distributor and RBO. My personal financial experiences in owning all different types of cattle throughout several production practices helps me appreciate the choices available to producers.

What motivates me:  The many different production practices employed across the US can be such a learning experience.  Just when you think you have seen every useful and productive application of feeds and their use in livestock, a producer shows you a different way.  It is very motivating to merge the practical application with scientific reasoning.

Mark Robbins, MS 
Nutritionist, Research and Nutrition Services Manager

Education: South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.  Both BS, Animal Science ‘84 and MS, Ruminant Nutrition ‘94

Past livestock industry work experience: Manager for 8 years at the SDSU Research Feedlot, Brookings SD. Research and Nutrition Services Manager for 16 years with Ridley Block Operations.       

A description of yourself and your work interest: Mark was born and raised on a grain and livestock farm in Eastern South Dakota.  Early on in his career his interests were with feedlot nutrition and management.  For the past 16 years with Ridley, his focus has been with cow-calf and grazing animal nutrition, specifically with self-fed supplements.  Today, Mark lives in Northeast Wyoming, and offices in Whitewood, SD.

What motivates me: I am motivated by the knowledge that there is an easier and often better way to supplement grazing animals.  Let’s embrace new technology to make our lives better.  There was a time when all you had to do, to get ahead, was work hard.  Today you also need to work “smart”.  

Dan Dhuyvetter, MS, Ph.D. 
Ruminant Nutritionist, Director of Marketing, R&D and Nutrition Services

Education: BS: North Dakota State University, MS: Montana State University, Ph.D.: New Mexico State University

Past livestock industry work experience:  NDSU Extension Service as an Asst. County Extension Agent, County Extension Agent, Area Grazing and Livestock Specialist and State Beef Cow-Calf Nutritionist. Beef Cow-calf Nutritionist with Farmland Industries.  Southern Operations Manager with Ridley Block Operations.

A description of yourself and your work interest:  Dan is a native of North Dakota where he spent 12 years in the Extension service with county, area and state-wide appointments before entering the Feed Industry.  His interests have been focused on grazing ruminants and his Ph. D. research looked specifically at the effects of nutrition on reproduction in beef cows.  Today Dan is involved with the process of developing CRYSTALYX^® products, introducing them to the marketplace and then maintaining their consistency and performance in the field.
 
What motivates me:  I am continually looking for ways to create value for our customers.  In particular I want to help cow-calf producers and stocker operators improve their efficiencies by providing free-choice supplement solutions that help get more from their forages.  Greater, livestock performance, greater production efficiencies, greater returns.

We are pleased to welcome you to the new CRYSTALYX^® website with a fresh new look and more interactive ways of learning and sharing nutritional information to help you better manage your livestock operation.  It is our intent to provide a web-based information resource that you will want to bookmark as one of your “Favorites” when considering nutritional supplementation programs.  We are particularly proud of our position as the industry leader for providing free-choice supplement delivery solutions to ranchers and livestock producers across North America.  

We encourage you to explore our website and search for nutritional products that can help you optimize your production while maximizing your forages.  Share a success story with us on the use of any of our products.  Sign up for our Supplement Scheduler that can help remind you when to go out and replace your barrels.  Search our research information to see how CRYSTALYX^® compares to other supplementation methods or how it can be used to modify grazing behavior to help increase grazing in underutilized areas of your pastures.  Read about our Single Trip Container, the BioBarrel, that helps reduce your time and expense of retrieving supplement containers from your pastures.  Download Crystal Clear Economyx^® to help you make an economic comparison of CRYSTALYX^® to other supplementation programs.  Sign up for updates on our Block Blog and or our email blasts for timely nutrition topics that can help keep you current with information that matches the season and your livestock production needs.  If you are not sure where to purchase CRYSTALYX^® in your area, search our Dealer/Distributor locator so we can help connect you with a source nearest you.  There is much more information related to free-choice supplements and nutrition solutions to meet your needs. 

We will be steadily making improvements in how the new website is arranged to make information easy to find, easy to share and easy to retrieve.  In addition we will be expanding our web-based tools that you can use to help better manage your operation.  Please let us know if you feel there are ways that we can improve either the content of the information or the form in how it is presented.  Our nutrition staff look forward to providing timely updates related to the use of our products and nutritional needs of your livestock.  These updates will be posted on our Block Blog.  We invite you to sign up to receive an alert whenever a new blog is posted so you never miss out on timely nutrition information.  

Once again, welcome to our new CRYSTALYX^® website.  We look forward to providing you information, programming and services that will keep you coming back.