Mike Renner of Mandan, ND is another satisfied user of CRYSTALYX® programs, particularly Crystal-Phos® mineral supplement. Mike runs a beef cow-calf operation and farms near Mandan, ND. CRYSTALYX® BGF-30™ has been used successfully in the past and starting in the spring of 2010, Mike has added Crystal-Phos® to his program. Crystal-Phos® is now planned to be used year round, however BGF-30™ will also be used in fall and winter grazing to help complement low quality roughages. “Crystal-Phos® is easy from a management standpoint as you drop them and go. The combination cattle and crop operations another reason CRYSTALYX® works so well. ”I like using barrels in the summer as I drop them off in the pasture and not go back as often as with other supplements; this gives me more time management for the farming operation.”
“Crystal-Phos® has also been performing well,” says Mike. “We had 30 two year old cows on it this spring and they all bred this summer with only one breeding late.” Good mineral nutrition also translates and pays off in better animal health. 2010 in North Dakota was very wet and Renner was concerned he would have issues with foot rot, pinkeye and other challenges as in previous years. Crystal-Phos® cannot make an actual claim, but once it was part of Renner’s program, animal health did improve. And when explaining this, Mike whimsically said, “You know how much fun it is to drive 25 miles to pasture to drop off barrels and not have to use a dart gun to treat a case of foot rot or pinkeye. I’ve had past years I’d go every week and spend the better part of day treating cattle.”
Another aspect of CRYSTALYX® that has been thoroughly researched is the ability to use the product as a grazing distribution tool. Renner has also put this in practice on the operation as it may have been one of the first reasons to use CRYSTALYX®. “CRYSTALYX® did exactly what I expected it to do,” said Mike. “Cattle will graze now where they normally wouldn’t as the barrels can be used to scatter cattle and change grazing patterns.” He even noticed and commented that cattle would use the same old cow trails less by spreading out, thus reducing foot traffic in well worn trails which appeared to help reduce erosion concerns.
