In the early spring of 2024, Tyrell Rousey, a beef seedstock producer from North Platte, Nebraska, approached his feed supplier about how to improve his summer mineral program. Tyrell wasn’t fully satisfied with some aspects of his program, and he was looking at ways to improve mineral management with consistent intake and weatherability.

Tyrell and his wife, Deandra, raise both black and red SimAngus composite cattle at their Rousey SimAngus ranch. Bulls are developed there and merchandised through the ranch’s annual bull sale, held the second Saturday in February each year; a few heifers are also offered private treaty in the fall. Cattle are managed on a Sandhills ranch, leased by the Rouseys, that has a history of producing high-quality composite cattle. Tyrell got his start by interning at this ranch nearly 20 years ago and has since built their current herd. The Rouseys also have land in the North Platte valley where most cows are calved in the winter and have access to cornstalk grazing and other feed sources.

Feed and Co., a Crystalyx^® dealer in North Platte, recommended the Crystalyx^® Blueprint^®6% Phos supplement for Rousey’s summer mineral program. This product is typically consumed at around 1/4 pound per head per day and has options with ClariFly^® for fly control and garlic as a fly repellent. The dealer felt that this recommendation would meet Rousey’s needs of getting a high percentage of the herd to consume the mineral consistently. Additionally, it would help address the increasingly common issue of labor shortages and simply “keeping up” and keeping enough loose mineral in front of cows.

Tyrell followed Feed & Co.’s recommendation and got started with Crystalyx Blueprint 6% Phos at spring turnout. At the end of the summer, Tyrell shared his results, observations and experiences with this technology.

Much of what was shared reflects what other producers have seen and echoes the research results on Blueprint in many parts of the U.S.: increased weaning weights, healthier calves, and better overall breeding performance.

Specifically: In the group of 80 two-and three-year-old cows, pregnancy rates improved from 90% to 95%. The pregnancy rates of older, running-age cows also improved. Weaning weights with both bull and heifer calves were improved, compared to a historical average, by 23 lbs. Calves are weaned on the ranch implementing the nose flap system, and Tyrell now offers Crystalyx^® Brigade^® barrels to calves within the first 30 days or so of weaning. Overall calf health was excellent in the fall of 2024, with only one calf (out of 413 total bulls and heifers) needing to be treated for sickness within the first 45 days of weaning. Tyrell has been improving calf management over the past decade or longer and has made great strides in calf health.

Tyrell gives credit to Crystalyx Blueprint in helping not only nutritional status but management too, saying, “Consistent intake and being able to better manage our mineral with limited labor helps the mineral supplement perform like it needs to.”

Tyrell also took advantage of the Crystalyx^® BioBarrel^® biodegradable barrel, further making his mineral program easier to manage, with no empty tubs to collect and dispose of.

The Blueprint nutrition advantage has definitely been shown at Rousey SimAngus, and the Rouseys plan to continue with Crystalyx^® Blueprint^® 20 as the protein and mineral supplement in their fall and winter grazing programs.