Two most critical times of the year for proper nutrition:
The two most critical times of the year for proper trace mineral and vitamin supplementation in your beef cow herd are, prior to calving, and prior to breeding.
#1. Pre-calving / 3rd Trimester
Spring calving will soon be upon us, that means many herds are in the third trimester of gestation. During this time, the largest quantities of several key nutrients are preferentially transferred from the cow’s reserves, to the fetus. Additionally, a cow’s colostrum is nutrient rich and especially high in vitamin content. This transfer of nutrients to the calf, both pre and post calving, puts a drain on maternal nutrient reserves, at a time when your cows also need to recover from calving, and breed back for that 2018 calf crop. This is no time to try to squeeze by, or cut corners on the nutrition program for your cow herd. To do so, can imperil the nutritional status of the cow, the calf, or more likely, both. For Spring calving herds, protein and/or magnesium supplementation may also be needed at this time.
#2. Pre-breeding and the breeding season
The second critical time for optimal nutrition in the beef cow, is prior to and during the breeding season. The data below shows that cows should be at least at a condition score 5 to 5.5, at calving, and gaining weight after calving, in order to breed back at about 82 days, to keep on a 365 day calving interval.
Body Condtion Scoring at Calving
What CRYSTALYX® products work best?
If you have been providing a quality supplement to your herd all winter, using one of the CRYSTALYX® Balanced supplements like BGF-30™ or VP®-30 will allow you to continue that Balanced nutrition program through to green grass. Once you hit green grass, you may need a magnesium supplement. If grass tetany is not a concern on your green spring pastures, you should be able to move to a CRYSTALYX® mineral, like Crystal-Phos®
If your herd has not been on a supplement program this winter, and/or you now feel the need to supply a higher level of trace minerals and vitamins, CRYSTALYX® has a class of Premium supplements that are designed for meeting those needs from pre-calving, all the way through the breeding season. These supplements are called CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® supplements. The CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® products have found favor with Seedstock operations and other producers wishing to get the most return from today’s advanced genetics. Intensive AI and embryo transfer programs also benefit from the Bioplex® organic trace minerals in the CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® supplements. They are also the best choice if your soil has trace mineral antagonists like iron or molybdenum, or perhaps sulfates in your water source.
Balanced & Premium Product Options
How are CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® products different?
CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® supplements differ from the CRYSTALYX® Balanced supplements in three ways:
- They contain higher levels of vitamins
- They contain more concentrated levels of trace minerals (200% of NRC)
- All CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® supplements contain Bioplex® trace minerals. (A few CRYSTALYX® Balanced products also contain Bioplex®)
A list of CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® products:
Breed-Up® Products
All of the CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® protein supplements are available with Bio-Mos®. CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® Max is available with Actigen®, which is a more concentrated form of Bio-Mos®.
To insure that increasing cow phosphorus requirements are met in the third trimester, and during lactation, all CRYSTALYX® protein supplements should be fed along with a self-fed phosphorus containing mineral, be that a CRYSTALYX® mineral, or a conventional bagged mineral.
CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® Supplements supply 200% of NRC requirements for trace minerals and vitamins to achieve a higher plane of nutrition that your herd may need from pre-calving through breeding. Whether you need protein, magnesium or just mineral and vitamin supplementation, there is a CRYSTALYX® Breed-Up® barrel for that.
