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We would like to continue with our theme of maximizing profitability from forages as we head into the summer and fall.  The importance of making the most from your forage base is a key factor in reducing additional expenses as well as optimizing calf performance and cow reproduction.  Summer and Fall grazing conditions bring upon new opportunities for capturing added value from your forages.  I have outlined a few of those opportunities below that can pay dividends for most beef producers.  We will also expand on these areas over the next 5 weeks to help provide you more information to determine if they have the potential to help you with your bottom line. 

1. Fly control has demonstrated improved calf gains.  Flies, particularly the horn fly variety, can limit cattle performance on summer pastures when present in large populations.  Feed-through larvacides can be an important part of an integrated fly control program to help prevent reductions in calf body weight gain from fly pressure.  CRYSTALYX® Brand Supplements have products that contain Rabon® Oral Larvacides (ROL) in addition to Altosid® Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that can be used to help control flies on pasture. 
2. Limit the negative impact on animal performance from endophyte infected fescue pastures.  Endophyte infected fescue pastures can severely limit animal performance, especially during the heat of the summer.  Make sure you provide a supplement that is specifically formulated for fescue pastures to help cattle deal with the heat when endophyte consumption can impair the animal’s circulation to their extremities.  CRYSTALYX® products like Fescue-Phos® or Hi-Mag Tasco-lyx® are specifically formulated with Tasco® seaweed meal to help cattle grazing endophyte infected fescue pastures.  Current cattle economics indicate any loss in reproduction or calf weight gain will result in significant reductions in cow-calf returns.  Make sure you have a supplement program in place that allows your cattle to deal with fescue pastures as profitably as possible.
3. Grazing management with CRYSTALYX® low-moisture blocks maximizes pasture forage utilization.  Extensive research has been conducted on the use of CRYSTALYX® Brand Supplements to improve forage utilization through the use of barrel placement.  It has been clearly demonstrated that cattle will spend more time in areas within 200 to 600 yards of where CRYSTALYX® barrels are placed in the pasture.  Management strategies have been developed where barrels are placed away from water, which is normally not recommended with free-choice supplements.  Cattle will then graze to the supplement and then graze back to the water.  This can help producers encourage cattle to consume forages in pasture locations where they may typically avoid.  Unused forage at the end of the season does not do much for helping promote animal performance. 
4. Creep feeding can keep calves growing when pasture quality declines in the fall.  High calf prices have reiterated the importance of growing calves to their genetic potential while on grass.  As pastures mature in the fall, forage quality dips below cow maintenance requirements and as a result, milk production is significantly reduced.  When forage quality and milk quantities deteriorate, calf growth is negatively impacted and the opportunity for additional gain is limited without supplemental nutrition.  Economic returns for creep feeding become much more viable when forage availability and quality are dramatically reduced, in addition to when calf prices are extremely high.  Calf prices look to be very favorable this fall and should warrant serious consideration for creep feeding programs to ensure maximum calf growth and optimal returns to cow-calf producers.
5. Protein supplementation can increase forage intake and digestibility of low quality forages.  This extensively researched practice is well established as a method of increasing the utilization of low quality forages.  Protein that is available to ruminal microbes will increase their growth and therefore the amount of forage digested.  This often times results in increased forage intake which in many cases helps cows meet their energy requirement, particularly in mid gestation and the first month or two of late gestation.  During dry periods or later in the growing season as forages mature or are stockpiled for later use, the need for protein to maintain both calf gains and cow body weight maintenance often pays, and this year the returns should be even more evident given present calf values.  Calves are heavier at weaning and cows go into the winter with more body condition stores so they are better fit to calve and rebreed on time.

Rotational grazing is one of the best ways to maximize forage utilization by managing stocking rate and pasture size.  The reality is pasture ground is hard to find and quite valuable.  In some area, I see planters working fields that had been pasture for the last 50 years.  With rotational grazing the concept is to divide the grazing area into paddocks that a group of animals can consume within 7 to 10 days.  

Rotational grazing allows you to run more cows per acre while matching grass growth rates to stocking rate.  Table 1.  Shows how improving percent pasture utilization from 60% to 90% will increase the capacity from 0.67 to 1.0  cows/year.  In rotation grazing systems, we often see pasture yield increase.  This can be explained by the benefits of better weed control, more even manure distribution and maintaining the grass in a vegetative state longer during the growing season. In the example below increasing pasture yield from 5000 to 7000 DM pounds allowed the stocking rate to increase by nearly 0.3 to 0.4 cows per year.

Table 1.  Carrying Capacity and Forage Available at Various Utilization Rates

The best advice for using rotational grazing is to learn the basics and then apply those principals to your specific operation.  Major considerations are water access, animal numbers, how many paddocks to utilize, time constraints and fencing options.  Mother Nature is in control and seasonal grass growth rates and moisture availability will impact the length and frequency of grazing each paddock.

Considerations for a rotational grazing system are water, animal units, matching stocking rate to grass growth and how each of those factors impact paddock size and layout.

Water

Where is it and how will water location impact paddock size and shape?  Often a drover lane can be utilized for access to multiple paddocks.  Visit with local extension agents or NRCS offices about possible cost share funding for fencing and water systems.

Animal Units

Most of the reference material for grazing will use the terminology of animal unit.  They will have information about stocking rates expressed in acres per animal unit for various grass types that are modified for growing season.  Generally an animal unit is defined as equivalent to 1000 pounds of animal.  There are some adjustments made for stage of production.   A 1300 pound dry cow would be 1.3 animal units but a lactation cow in the first 4 months would be 1.6 animal units. 

Considerations For Yield Variation

Fast spring growth of grass will often allow for some paddocks to be skipped in the grazing rotation and saved for hay production.  Typically acres needed per animal unit will be 0.3 to 0.5 units lower in the spring due to increased productivity compared to the drier summer months.  For example, an orchard grass pasture can be grazed at 0.7 acres/animal unit in the spring, but in August 1.25 acres/animal unit is needed.  This variation can be managed by changing animal numbers or changing paddock size.  In a system where there are 4 similar sized paddocks, one paddock is saved for hay and the other 3 grazed.  In the drier months when grass growth declines, two lots at once would be grazed at the same time.

Timing and Fencing

Pasture in the Midwest with cool season grasses will have about 300 pounds of forage per inch of growth and length of the grazing period will vary by animal number and growth rate.  Common rest periods or time between grazing is 14-21 days during the spring and 40-60 days in warmer months.  Internal temporary fencing is a great tool for managing animal access to the different paddocks.  A practice in some areas is to have a front and back fence that are each moved on a 10-14 day schedule.  

The economic value of getting maximum utilization of the pasture has significant impact on profitability.  The forage that the cow herd harvests by grazing is the most economical feed you have.  With pasture value increasing and pasture availability being a concern, you may want to consider rotation grazing.  Grass type and carrying capacity will vary around the country.  Suppliers of fencing equipment pasture walks and grazing days are great sources of information.  Visit with your local extension specialist and NRCS representative to see what is available and working in your part of the country.  

The composition of grass is reflected not only by stage of growth but by species, climate and geography.  Green grass differs in quality due to differences in soil fertility, rainfall and heat.  Cool season grasses grow as soon as it is warm enough to pull them out of their winter dormancy.  They mature at different rates and basically quit growing when it gets too hot.  Wheat and rye pastures along with brome and fescue pastures are good examples of cool season grasses.  Yearlings are generally removed from wheat and rye pastures before a protein supplement is needed.  It is rather obvious when wheat and rye start to mature that their forage component is now straw.  Brome and fescue grasses do not mature as quickly or as dramatically as wheat and rye.  These pastures do however decrease in protein enough to justify a protein supplement.  As grasses mature, their protein content and the fiber becomes lower in digestibility.  Providing supplemental protein will increase fiber digestibility in addition to providing protein to the animal.

As the weather heats up, cool season grasses slow their growth and warm season grasses start to grow. Almost every pasture will have a mixture of cool and warm season grasses.  The percentage of each will depend on several factors such as the timing and intensity of grazing pressure.

Stockers and replacement heifers will selectively graze the immature grasses.  This is the higher quality grass, higher in protein and energy. If you leave cattle on a predominately cool season grass too long, the cool season grass matures. The cattle will then graze the warm season grass when it first starts to grow.  Over time, the cattle will put so much pressure on the early warm season grass that it will gradually die.  The cool season grasses will fill in and the pasture will now be almost all cool season grass.

To increase animal performance while grazing, feed additives such as ionophores can easily provide an extra 10 percent boost in ADG. There were 84 studies conducted with Bovatec® between 1980 and 2001.  These studies showed Bovatec® increased gains during all seasons of the year on all types of forages.  CRYSTALYX® Ionolyx-B 300 contains Bovatec® and provides 28 percent Crude Protein. It is formulated to supplement stocker cattle and/or replacement heifers while also providing balanced mineral and vitamin supplementation.

Over the summer grazing season a 10 percent increase in gain could amount to an added 25 to 45 lbs. on stocker cattle or replacement heifers.  This added weight gain does not sound significant in the productive life of a heifer, but it is.  The following table shows 9-45 lbs. of body weight can affect the lifetime profitability of the first calf heifer.

Funston etal. 2012 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Not only do a greater percentage of the heavier heifers breed, they wean heavier calves.  Proper pasture supplementation, whether a mineral or a protein supplement, should include a feed additive such as Bovatec®.

Bovatec® improves growth rate of cattle by increasing rumen fermentation efficiencies.  This increase in growth increases the productivity of pastures.  The added gain on a heifer will influence the percent conceiving in a timely manner. The high cost of feedlot gains has challenged all of us to get more gain from pastures.

 Free-choice delivery of government regulated feed additives such as ionophores must be approved by the FDA. There are only a few of these products available on the market today.  Make sure you read and follow label directions on their use. 

Your largest feed expense is stored forage.  Your hay and silage is worth more than ever before.  Efforts to improve your management of forage storage will result in a good return on your investment. 

What is the New Normal for forage cost?  The average hay price has increased for all hay types.  Fair quality grass hay is $120 - $150 per ton and premium quality alfalfa hay is $200 - $300 per ton.  Current corn price dictates that corn silage should be valued at $60 to $70 per ton.  There are several reasons for increased forage cost listed below. 

*2012 was the smallest hay crop in 22 years

*the conversion of hay and pasture to row crops

*increased demand for hay in the southwest and southeast

*high corn price equates to high corn silage cost

*increasing harvest cost due to high fuel cost

USDA estimates that forage DM loss can be as high as 50% under the poorest conditions.  From what I observe on many farms and ranches, we commonly accept 15% to 20% DM loss as acceptable and normal.  We are at a New Normal with all aspects of livestock production, and at current forage costs, we need a New Normal in what we accept for DM loss.  Evaluate these 3 areas in your forage program to reduce DM loss in your hay and silage.

1. In-Field Loss
2. Harvest and Storage Loss
3. Feed out losses

Decreasing the amount of dry matter loss associated with hay and silage can greatly improve your income potential.  Where can DM loss occur and what is the benefit of using a preservative?

Not all forage treatment products are created equal.  Preservatives are generally considered to be chemical products and often used on dry hay.  Their main mode of action is changing the environment in the hay bale or silage.  The most common preservatives are organic acids such as propionic, acetic and citric acids.  They are applied at 5-15 lbs. per ton depending on hay moisture.  The mode of action is lowering pH to inhibit spoilage organisms.  Preservative such as BulletProof® uses oxygen scavenging technology to inhibit spoilage organisms.  It is applied at 2-3 lbs. per ton depending on hay moisture.  You need to consider application rate and total cost per treated ton of hay when making comparisons. 

The highest feed expenditure you have is your stored forage.  Using a preservative to reduce DM and nutrient loss will have a significant positive impact on your income over feed cost.  You will have more forage available and forage quality should be improved.

Winter isn’t just for calving. Sheep and goat producers are gearing up for lambing/kidding season, too.

The last month of gestation is a key time in gestational development. Fetuses are rapidly growing and the body is mobilizing nutrients for milk production. Space in the rumen becomes a limiting factor. The rapidly growing lambs or kids push the uterus into the space normally occupied by the rumen, leaving less and less space for feed. Consequently, the dam may not have enough room in the rumen to get all her energy needs fulfilled (especially on an all-forage diet).

This negative energy balance can cause ketosis, also known as pregnancy toxemia. Pregnancy toxemia usually occurs in the last few weeks of gestation in females that are thin or fat and carrying a large single or multiples. Since the dam physically can’t eat enough to meet her energy needs, the body starts burning fat. This may seem like a great idea, but the body isn’t as efficient at burning fat for energy as it is with carbohydrates. This can result in a build of ketones in the liver and result in pregnancy toxemia.

The symptoms of pregnancy toxemia include going completely off feed, lying down and refusing to get up when approached, depression and teeth grinding. You may also notice that the dam will have a ketone (sickly sweet) smell to their breath. The negative energy balance can also be accompanied by tremors, blindness or incoordination. Treatment options for a ewe or doe diagnosed with pregnancy toxemia revolve around getting energy into the dam. This generally means sugar (glucose) delivered via drench or IV along with other electrolytes.

Providing your ewes or does with an energy source in late gestation can help prevent, or even treat, pregnancy ketosis. Molasses-based supplements, such as CRYSTALYX®, provide a readily digestible source of energy for the rumen microbes. This in turn can help increase fiber digestibility in the rumen and thus more energy available to the dam. At a time where the dam’s intake (rumen space) is restricted by the fetal growth, maximizing every bite is key.

CRYSTALYX^® offers a number of protein and mineral/vitamin supplements formulated especially for sheep and goat. Click on the 'By Species' tab above and select sheep or goat to learn more about these products.

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:

It’s a new year, 2012, and the optimism in the Cattle Industry continues. Spring calving is just around the corner and thus a great percentage of the 2012 Calf-crop is in the 3^rd trimester of fetal development or very close to it. Over 85% of fetal growth occurs during this stage of gestation, and nutritional demands of the mother cow are increasing at a rapid rate. Protein and energy demands increase nearly 20% just during the last month of pregnancy (see chart below). 

Cow Body Condition has got to be the number one priority in a cow-calf nutrition program. As an indicator of Energy status, it affects everything from health to reproductive efficiency, and ultimately profitability. At no point is Body Condition more critical than during late gestation and early lactation. The processes of fetal development, delivering a calf, milk production and repair of the reproductive tract, are all physiological stresses. All these require large quantities of energy to enable cows to rebreed in 85 days in order to maintain a calving interval of 12 months.

Once the calf is born, its survival and immunity is dependent on receiving high quality colostrum the first 24 hours of life. Colostrum in milk provides the passive immunity to a calf from the IgG (Immunoglobulin) concentration. These immunoglobulins are antibodies that fight bacterial and viral challenges the calf will encounter until its active immunity is developed. 

A cow that is in good health, adequate body condition (BCS 5-7), and is meeting nutritional requirements during the last trimester of gestation will produce adequate amounts and quality of colostrum for her newborn calf. On the flip side, cows that are nutritionally challenged and losing body condition will produce lower quality colostrum, experience more dystocia,  have less vigorous calves with more health problems, and be challenged to re breed efficiently etc.

So, with Mother Nature’s help, if we have been utilizing a good supplement strategy to maintain body condition and utilize forages effectively, calving season should go well right? Yes, it should if we continue to pay attention to nutrition and continue to make best use of available forages. Now is likely the time to utilize our better quality forages or increase supplementation to lower quality forages (generally forages less than 10-12% protein).

 Mineral and vitamin requirements also increase during the third trimester and are important to immune function, reproductive efficiency, etc... If byproduct feeds such as distiller grains are being utilized, mineral nutrition can be further complicated and may need to be fine -tuned in addition to simply being fed at higher levels.

 For many areas of the U.S., it’s been a nice mild winter so far. For cow-calf producers, that’s not a bad thing as cold stress, nutritional stress, feeding costs, etc…, have likely been reduced from where they potentially could be. These market and environmental conditions have made it possible to get more out of winter grazing and hopefully producers have used supplement strategies to maintain or even add condition score to their cows. Now as calving season approaches, be sure to continue to pay attention to nutrition and make the best of 2012.

Talk to your CRYSTALYX^® dealer for more information. Obtain input on specific CRYSTALYX^® Brand Supplement and programs that fit the third trimester of pregnancy for your Beef Cow operation.

Recently I traveled to Queensland, Australia, to visit a friend of mine. She works as a consulting nutritionist to a number of feed yards in Australia and other countries in the South Pacific. I was fortunate enough to be able to ride with her to a few yards and was able to see how things are done on the other side of the world.

The fed cattle market is very different in Australia. Cattle for the domestic market are fed to a certain days on feed (65-70 days) as set by 2 domestic grocery stores. The reason being is shelf space. Each cut has a specific dimension that it must fit into and the short fed, lighter cattle have a smaller carcass that won’t exceed the dimensions of the designated space. What the consumer sees in the case, are packages of steaks which are very uniform in size that would grade select at best in the US. The cattle that won’t make it to the domestic market are sold heavier to the US and other countries.

Waygu cattle also fill a few yards around Australia. They are either pure bred or crossed with dairy beef and tend to be more heat tolerant than British bred cattle. These cattle are in the yard for the long haul. We visited a yard in northern Victoria with several pens of cattle that were over 600 days on feed, weighing in the neighborhood of 1,980 lbs. and still had days to go. The Waygu cattle are sold for the Kobe beef market. The front half of the carcass holds the most value and looking at the cattle, you can see that they are bred with that in mind. There’s not much in the rear half like you would see with British or Continental bred cattle.

The feedstuffs utilized in the yards are similar to what is used in parts of the US. Barley and wheat are the main grain sources, cereal grain hay and some silage for the roughages and the supplement is carried by liquid molasses. If they are using a distillers’ product it’s sorghum rather than corn.

When you get down to it, cattle feeding doesn’t differ that much regardless of where you are. Everyone is feeding to suit their market, using what resources they have near. All that differs is the slang used by the hired hands and the units of measure on the scale.

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!

Spring born calves are now being weaned, shipped, marketed and transitioned from summer through fall to winter.  The words “calf weaning” can spell fear for some producers and opportunity for others.  Weaning practices or methods vary from conventional methods to ones where pre-conditioning is involved, to fenceline, two-step, or simply the “weaning them on the truck to town” method.

Weaning tips normally revolve around stress reduction.  There may be an ongoing debate on which programs work the best and which fit facilities, topography, feed resources, and manpower issues.  There is strong data from several studies around the U.S. that suggest fenceline weaning or low-stress weaning programs have advantages on calf behavior and performance. 

Below summarizes some benefits of a fenceline weaning system for a 7 day period vs. conventional or total separation weaning from dams (source, Price et. al - Univ. of California Davis 2003)

• Increased time grazing and eating in days immediately following weaning
• Less time walking and more time spent lying down following weaning
• Less time bawling (vocalizing)
• Increased weight gain in the first 2wks following weaning (23 more lbs.) and this gain difference persisted through 10 weeks following weaning (26 lbs. more )

While the advantages above do support the practice, Fencline weaning will require well maintained fences (often a combination of a permanent and electric fence) and adequate, easily accessed water on both sides of the fence.

Whatever the practice, good nutrition is not exempt in making a program more successful.  Just as important is management and perhaps the weaning method that makes the most sense for an individual operation.  Even calves sold right off the cow will benefit by good nutrition prior to weaning as this will help whoever buys them in their receiving program.  This may sound like it cost the seller and benefits the buyer, but calves marketed in value added programs or preconditioned typically bring significantly more money.

For years now, Crystalyx^® has highlighted a very versatile supplement product in Brigade^®.  This product was first evaluated in receiving calves that are typically stressed and experience high morbidity.  Volumes have been written that calves that get sick in a weaning or receiving situation do not perform as well, are less profitable, less marketable, have higher health and treatment cost, etc...  One key to reducing stress and ultimately sickness in weaned calves is getting them to start on feed quicker or maintain feed intake.  Several demonstrations and the experience of many cattle producers have shown the economic benefits of Brigade^®.

Using a product like Crystalyx^® Brigade^® will supply a continuous availability of concentrated nutrients in a palatable form.  Even if calves are not eating normally, they still tend to consume Brigade^®.  This small amount of supplement will increase appetite, stimulate rumen microbial activity and forage digestion.  It will also encourage water consumption which in-turn can help improve dry matter intake.   One practice that would work in both fenceline and conventional weaning programs would be to offer Brigade® to both cows and calves prior to weaning for about 1-2 weeks.  This gives a head start nutritionally for calves, plus it acclimates them to the barrel so they know exactly what it is come the day of weaning.  

CRYSTALYX^® Brigade^® has been recommended by many CRYSTALYX^® dealers and sales professionals as a key tool in starter programs.  Make it part of yours when weaning program as it will fit all methods!