A couple of weeks ago I was reading about some research conducted by Dr. Monte Rouquette, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research Scientist, at Overton, TX.  The study used yearlings, and compared 3 different levels of DDGs supplementation on Bermuda Grass to a control treatment (no DDGs supplement).  The DDGs supplementation levels were 0.25% of body weight, 0.5% of body weight and 1% of body weight/hd/d.  The control cattle gained 1.53 lbs./hd/d.  Both the 0.25% of body weight and the 0.5% of body weight treatments gained 2.22 lbs./hd/d. The cattle receiving 1% of their body weight of the DDGs supplement gained 2.53 lbs./hd/d.  As you might expect, the article mentions that the 1% of body weight treatment (800 pound animals receiving about 8 pounds of supplement) was actually acting as a replacement for the forage.  You will often hear us preach about CRYSTALYX^® not being a replacement, but a true supplement for your forage, which is most always the cheapest source of energy for your herd.  You can find the full article at http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/Stocker-gains-more-than-25-pounds-per-head-per-day-realized-278377821.html

While the study shows how you could increase the total pounds gained per acre of Bermuda grass, with the 3 levels of supplementation, I was most interested in a completely different aspect.  Remember how the 0.25% of body weight and the 0.5% of body weight treatments gained the same?  I realize that the 0.5% of body weight treatment may have consumed slightly less forage (and that can have advantages), but, do you find it surprising that doubling the amount of supplement from 0.25% to 0.5% of body weight did NOT increase the average daily gain?

If you are familiar with how CRYSTALYX^® works, you may not be totally surprised.  To start with, we need to remember that CRYSTALYX^® has a relatively low intake (perhaps 0.06% to 0.10% of body weight, or 3% of the diet), and, that it delivers results that far exceed its apparent input.  We conducted a couple of digestion trials at Kansas State University in the mid 1990’s.  We found that, compared to a non-supplemented control, a pound of CRYSTALYX^® could increase the digestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake by 20% to 30%, on animals consuming a low quality prairie hay that contained 6% crude protein and 70% NDF.  That indicates a significant increase in the amount of energy a cow can get from a low quality forage, when CRYSTALYX^® is added to the diet.   

How does a supplement that is 3% of the diet change digestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake by 20% to 30%?  It all has to do with the law of diminishing returns.  If you look at the graph below, you can see that the first input (#1, light blue area) gives a very large return, while the last unit of input (#4, light pink area) gives a very small return.

That may be a handmade graph used to explain a point in nature, but, we also have research to show that phenomena as well.  We conducted an in-vitro (ruminal digestion in test tubes) trial with New Mexico State University a number of years ago, to explore this phenomena.   We did this by utilizing actual ruminal fluid from a cow, a low quality prairie hay, and CRYSTALYX^® HP-40 supplement.  All three were placed in test tubes and incubated for 28 hours.  The CRYSTALYX^® HP-40 supplement was added to the test tubes at 4 different treatment levels.  The treatments simulated intake by a mature cow of 0.33 lb./hd/d, 0.66 lb./hd/d, 1.0 lb./hd/d and 1.33 lb./hd/d of HP-40.  As usual, we also included a non-supplemented control treatment.  The digestion of forage in the rumen results in the production of gasses, such as methane.  We were able to measure this gas production as a direct indication of the level of digestion taking place in the miniature glass rumens.  The results are shown in the graph below.

The initial treatment level of 0.33 lb./hd/d of HP-40 increased the gas production by 33 ml over the control.  Doubling the level of supplementation to 0.66 lb./hd/d increased it by another 10 ml.  Tripling it to 1.0 lb./hd/d added another 5 ml.   I think you can begin to see the same upward, right tailing arc of response, from the first graph.  Very steep at first on the left side, but, flattening out to the right, as additional inputs are added.  It also sounds similar to that trial I mentioned at the beginning of this article, where the first two levels of supplementation gave similar average daily gains.

You may be more familiar with this phenomena than you realize.  This past weekend I was taking part in the 80 MPH speed limit on the interstate here in Wyoming.  I was driving a car, and I passed several diesel pickups.  While they too could have been screaming down the smooth, flat roads at MAXIMUM 80 MPH, they were idled back at a more OPTIMUM 70 MPH.  They were getting much better fuel economy.   If you have ever tracked your fuel economy in your truck or car, you know that driving 55 or 60 MPH (perhaps driving side roads in Minnesota) gives much better fuel economy than driving 70-80 MPH down the Interstate.  It takes a lot of fuel ($$) to get that last 15 MPH out of your vehicle.  And it takes a lot of supplement ($$) to get that last bit of maximum production out of your cows.

If you want to save some dollars on your fuel bill, maybe start out earlier and drive slower.  If you want to save some dollars on your feed bill, perhaps you should consider feeding CRYSTALYX^® earlier in the Fall (cheaper gains in warmer weather), and finding that optimal level of supplementation efficiency that provides you the best economy.

CRYSTALYX^® Brand Supplements are available to your herd 24/7, and are an excellent way to increase the utilization of your forage, with minimal input for time, labor, equipment and delivery cost.  All costs considered, CRYSTALYX^® will give you the lowest cost per hear per day, with optimal results in your herd.