As the autumn progresses and the nutritional quality of autumn grass regresses in tandem, it is vital that producers keep the diet in balance with the aid of supplements. The three major questions to be asking when autumn grazing are:
- Will productive cattle have sufficient sugar for the rumen to digest autumn grass effectively?
- Will lactating cattle have sufficient magnesium to avoid grass stagger implications?
- Will productive cattle have sufficient trace elements to function properly and effectively?
If any of these nutrients are deficient at any time of the year, cattle health, fertility and performance is at risk. Overall nutrient deficiency risk is probably at its highest in the Autumn.
Don’t succumb to the autumn grazing sugar drop!
Sugar is vital to the effective fermentation of feedstuffs in the rumen which has a huge knock-on effect on production. There are two scenarios to contemplate here:
Scenario 1: Insufficient sugar
Scenario 2: Sufficient sugar
Best case scenario…
By providing rumen microflora with the nutrients lacking in forage (sugar, quality protein, and minerals) Crystalyx feed blocks can increase both the rate (i.e. the speed) and the extent (i.e. the proportionate amount) of forage digestion.
Crystalyx Cattle Booster feed blocks are specifically formulated to complement autumn grass that are becoming less sugar-rich. Containing 38% sugar, Crystalyx Cattle Booster is typically higher in sugar compared to other feed buckets on the market. This provides for an increase in dry matter intake by up to 15% and enhances feed conversion by as much as 10%.
Careful of grass staggers!
Watch out for the autumn grazing antagonists!
Mineral and trace element deficiencies in mixed‐species pasture is more likely to be caused by interactions absorption ‘antagonists’ than from low concentrations in the autumn grass. Low concentrations are a greater risk in the spring when grass growth is more vigorous, effectively diluting the mineral and trace element levels per kg of dry matter.
Antagonists are more likely when rainfall is higher and grazing animals splash grass with soil, increasing soil ingestion and the intake of ‘antagonists’. For example, if animals are ingesting molybdenum, iron, and/or sulphur from the soil and/or plant, then any ingested copper will become more ‘bound up’ and unavailable for absorption within the animal.
All Crystalyx feed licks provide all essential minerals, trace elements and vitamins.
There’s a ‘bucket load more’ in Crystalyx
Here are 5 reasons why Crystalyx offers better value and better performance:
- LOW MOISTURE: Crystalyx is very low in moisture, typically it contains only 2-3% water. Most dried feedstuffs contain around 10% and traditional chemical blocks can contain in excess of 20% moisture. Water dilutes nutrients and is very expensive to transport.
- HARD CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE Crystalyx products don’t break up in wet weather. The design of the product means that water can not penetrate the surface (as is the case with chemical blocks), only the top few millimeters of Crystalyx blocks softens as moisture ingresses from the atmosphere, allowing livestock to lick the product.
- IMPROVED FEED INTAKE AND DIGESTION Crystalyx improves ruminant rumen activity allowing livestock to consume more forage by up to 15%, and digest what they do eat more efficiently by as much as 10%.
- HIGH IN FERMENTABLE ENERGY Crystalyx Products contain as much as 43% sugar which helps to increase the speed and rate of rumen fermentation. Most bucket supplements contain around 18% sugar, which is similar to good quality grass, therefore does not improve fermentation rate.
- RESEARCH PROVEN Crystalyx blocks are backed up by scientific research from all over the world, with research continually showing significant improvements in animal health, performance, fertility and productivity.
Recommended read: Grass Nutritional Value Guide
