BTI Feeds located in Cut Bank, MT, has been recommending successful CRYSTALYX® programs for many years. Today's beef-cow supplement programs need to provide effective nutrition and be cost effective. Just as important, however, is that the type and form of supplement should make practical sense and fit ranch management.
The Gary Enneberg ranch operation near Cut Bank, MT, has been using CRYSTALYX® supplements for nearly 10 years, all for the above reasons.
The winter of 2008-2009 in Northern Montana was severe; perhaps the "toughest" in the past 15 years according to local recollection. At the Enneberg operation, CRYSTALYX® BGF-30™ was used to supplement hay harvested from expired CRP ground. Forage sources such as these do require supplement to best utilize.
When asked about the winter and the ranch feed program, Enneberg commented, "This CRP hay needs a little help and, considering the winter we went through, we expected to have some thinner than normal cows and more calving problems. Our performance, however, was better than expected."
Overall, CRYSTALYX® has proven to be a practical and effective supplement, and performance is what counts. During the breeding season of 2008, only four cows out of 251 failed to rebreed.
Prior to using CRYSTALYX® Enneberg had fed range cake as a supplement to native winter range and hay programs. "I started using CRYSTALYX® because I was just tired of using range cake. CRYSTALYX® is a more efficient use of manpower and equipment on our operation," says Gary.
CRYSTALYX® supplementation begins in the fall on native pasture. "We like the application CRYSTALYX® has had improving cattle grazing distribution and the portability of the steel barrels. Some other supplement choices have to be fed until its gone, and all in one spot."
Placing barrels in areas away from water gets more grazing accomplished in what would normally be underused areas. This improvement yields more grazing days or, better put, less days to feed purchased or home grown feeds, which cost more than grazing.
