Time. It is a precious thing that has no guarantee, and frankly, not many of us have enough of it to accomplish what we would like to do. In most cases, we run hard from morning to night, trying to fit in all the day’s scheduled tasks while sneaking in important events like T-ball games, 4-H meetings, local ag events, school board meetings, and family dinners, just to mention a few. Let’s not forget the surprise “pop-ups,” like equipment breakdowns, doctoring sick cattle, and nasty weather, when we’re simply not able to get it all done. Then there are the high-priority seasonal events of our occupation that trump everything else: planting season, harvest season, hay season and calving season.

At the end of the day, an added layer of convenience can play the significant role of being a valuable employee on our operation, allowing us that extra time to cheer on our kids or be a supporting member of our community to strengthen its future.

This time of year, we expect cows to be out on pasture doing their own thing — munching grass, raising a calf, and not causing any problems — but that isn’t always the case. There are fences to keep up, health to monitor, and water to maintain. These are plenty enough most of the time, let alone those time-consuming, pesky “pop-ups” I mentioned before.

Many times, in the summer, our herds are in the least convenient locations for us to address their health issues. Cattle on rented pasture or remote grazing leases tend to have limited handling-facility access at best. When issues like pinkeye or foot rot arise, those are events we really don’t want to tackle because we know the time, the trouble, and quite possibly the health risks we may endure to get that animal effectively treated. This may result in the animal not getting the attention it needs in a timely manner, leaving the problem to progress to the point where it is a significant economic impact to that animal’s performance or value. Lame cows don’t want to graze and don’t milk very well, calves with untreated pinkeye are discounted heavily at the sale barn, and cattle with lingering untreated respiratory issues are everyone’s problem.

Often, we invest in a loose mineral program hoping it will be a magic bullet to mitigate these potential issues, but it is only as good as it is managed. Feeders go empty, they can be cumbersome to move, and consumption levels can be suspect. So the best laid plan can be at the mercy of time, convenience, and all the other “pop-ups” that happen day to day. The notorious saying, “I’ll get it tomorrow,” and, well … it’s next week.…

A self-fed mineral supplement, like Crystalyx^®, that doesn’t require a feeder can be the first step to flexibility in pasture placement and delivery. Simply drop it where you want it to be, and that’s it, with maybe a different location each time to help manage forage supply. As an added bonus, Crystalyx is available in a biodegradable container that doesn’t require cleanup or maintenance.

Providing any supplement in a form that the majority of the herd will consume is crucial. Delivering minerals and especially fly control to cows and calves daily is absolutely a necessity for the best implementation of your investment. Or making sure all the manure contains the correct level of active fly control ingredient, which is key to population control. If all animals are not consuming consistently, the result is less than optimal. Along with that, ensuring consistent mineral intake can help optimize reproduction efficiency and boost immune function to minimize those pesky “pop-up” ailments that need to be treated.

Another curveball in our life that can impact time and convenience is our ever-changing weather patterns. Hot, dry spells during the grazing season can affect forage availability and quality. A self-fed supplement that provides supplemental protein along with mineral and feed-through fly control can improve forage utilization in challenging times. Getting the most out of your forages during the summer grazing season, even when those forages are compromised, can help maintain good milk production and keep your cows in acceptable condition moving into fall. Remember, you’re not just providing supplemental protein to your cows; the calves you will wean in the coming months are reaping the benefits of added protein to their diet.

Crystalyx can cover all your bases, no matter the particulars of your operation. This time-proven gold standard of self-fed supplements has formulas that consistently deliver critical nutrients to keep your herd healthy, fertile and profitable. The next-level fortification of Crystalyx^® Blueprint^® products is widely becoming the choice of discriminating cattle producers who desire top-end performance that maximizes their investment in progressive genetics. The patented BioBarrel^® container provides the added convenience of no empty container disposal or return. Regardless of your herd’s needs throughout the summer, Crystalyx has a product to conveniently deliver performance.

Your time and your herd are valuable. Crystalyx can be the partner that helps you reach your herd’s full potential.