Breed-Up® is Back!

Breed-Up® is Back!    If you’ve been around the Crystalyx® brand for a while, you may recognize the name “Breed-Up®,” a former line of solutions that were formulated with elevated levels of trace minerals and the inclusion of organic trace minerals. However, as our research on Blueprint® advanced, those Breed-Up® products became redundant. As a result, we reluctantly discontinued the Breed-Up® line — and that reluctance stemmed from the value of the Breed-Up® name, which explained to producers exactly what we expected those supplements to do: improve breed-ups.

Fast-forward to 2026: Breed-Up® is back and better than ever!

If you scroll through our new Crystalyx website, it is no secret that we offer a wide variety of options (SKUs). All of those options can be categorized based on their level of fortification into three groups: Base, Breed-Up® and Blueprint®.

*The Base and Blueprint® product lines will not see any changes related to the reintroduction of Breed-Up®. Crystalyx Breed-Up® products will maintain the same item numbers, but the names of many of these products will be updated. Why? Along with the value of leveraging the Breed-Up® name and its success, these improvements will also simplify the line-up for our end-users, dealers and sales teams while also providing us with an opportunity to update the nutrient levels in each product for today’s cattle.

What does Breed-Up® mean?

• Breed-Up® = Reproductive success. It refers to the percentage of cows that conceive out of the total number exposed to breeding (via natural service with a bull, AI or embryo transfer).

• Reproduction drives profitability. A herd’s success — and, ultimately, the industry’s profitability — starts with strong conception rates.

• Crystalyx offers more than just premium programs. While premium lines like Blueprint® garner attention, our broader product line has delivered strong reproductive performance for decades.

• Breed-Up opens the doors for a large mid-market opportunity. Only about 15–20% of producers buy premium products, leaving 80–85% in our Base or Breed-Up® tiers.

• Flexible solutions help meet regional needs. Not all producers want a 100% organic trace mineral program, and their needs can vary by region and operation.

• This is an opportunity to upsell, with proven results. Breed-Up® provides a step-up option for economy-minded producers focusing on improved conception, retention and pregnancy maintenance, and it’s backed by confidence in both its formulation and our brand reputation.

More than just a name change

What was potentially not as prevalent before was the inclusion of Bioplex® organic trace minerals (OTM) in this “middle tier” of Crystalyx supplements. The old BGF-30 product featured the partial inclusion of Bioplex® OTM in its formula, but the value of that inclusion wasn’t conveyed to the customer unless they happened to read the fine print of the ingredient list. Now, with the Breed-Up® name, this message — and the value of utilizing proven trace mineral technology — are conveyed more clearly. Additional upgrades include trace mineral and vitamin levels that better meet the needs of modern cattle. Larger cattle today have increased requirements — and we are striving to meet those requirements in our Breed-Up® upgrades, with a boost in the levels of copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, cobalt and vitamins.

Let’s talk timing: Should Breed-Up® products be used before, during or after breeding? The short answer is yes — to all of the above! Fertility is not built in the 60-day breeding window; it’s built 365 days a year. Nutrition impacts fertility through:

1. Body condition score (BCS) at calving: Nutrition in the months before calving determines reproductive success after calving

2. Postpartum interval (days to first heat) = Tighter calving window

3. Conception rates during breeding: Improve ovulation and embryo survival

4. Trace mineral and vitamin status: Hormone production, immune function, early embryo survival

5. Fetal programming and future fertility: Poor maternal nutrition can reduce ovarian development in heifer calves before they’re even born, as well as carcass quality in feedlot animals

6. Bull fertility: Semen quality, body condition

The Breed-Up® line is a solution to help elevate a producer’s program. One example of this is how much time a cow really has to breed-back and stay on track for a yearly calving interval. To calve in 365 days, cows have 80 to 85 days from calving to breeding. Take away the 40 to 45 days of postpartum anestrus, and this leaves around 40 days, or only two estrus cycles, to work with. Assuming a 12-hour standing heat per cycle, cows really only have 24 hours, or one day, to breed back. So, is nutrition important for fertility? Absolutely! And better year-round nutrition will increase a cow’s chances of using her 24 hours most effectively, ultimately driving profitability. The return of Breed-Up® is more than the return of a familiar name; it’s a renewed commitment to helping producers achieve consistent reproductive success and greater profitability. The updated Breed-Up® line delivers targeted nutrition, improved trace mineral support and flexibility that meets diverse operational needs. With a stronger focus on year-round fertility and the realities of today’s cattle production, Breed-Up® empowers producers to make the most of every breeding opportunity and stay on track for long-term herd performance and profitability.