Crystalyx products are designed to ensure healthy livestock.

AVOIDING TWIN LAMB DISEASE

A developing ovine foetus does nearly 70 per cent of its growth in the final 6 weeks of gestation. As the unborn lamb grows, so does the energy demand placed on the heavily pregnant ewe. The more lambs she carries, the greater her daily energy requirement.

Twin lamb disease (pregnancy toxaemia) results from an inadequate dietary energy intake by the ewe. To maintain the growth rate of her unborn lambs she supplies them with extra energy from her own body reserves – her own backfat. The fat is transported to the liver where it is broken down into useable units called ketone bodies .

However, if the energy deficit is too great and the ewe mobilises too much fat, the level of ketone bodies in the blood actually begin to poison her and she goes down with twin lamb disease.

Ensuring she receives a balanced ration with sufficient dietary energy is the best way to reduce the risk of twin lamb disease. Extra High Energy Crystalyx offers a very high energy content to help bridge any dietary shortfall, together with trace elements, minerals and vitamins to stimulate forage digestion and fermentation in the rumen. And because it is available 24 hours a day, even shy feeders get a chance to lick it. But perhaps best of all, Crystalyx never replaces forage in the diet – it complements and balances it. Therefore Crystalyx intakes can be used as a true guide to the adequacy of the ration being fed – high intakes mean the ewes are short of energy.

Many shepherds now realise the tremendous benefits of providing Extra High Energy Crystalyx on a self help/free access system to all ewes, especially in the latter stages of pregnancy – because it really does take some licking!

AVOIDING STAGGERS AFTER TURNOUT

Lactating cows, both beef & dairy, are prone to hypomagnesaemia (low blood magnesium levels) or grass staggers after turnout onto lush spring grass. This is because the cow has an obligatory loss of magnesium in her milk and faeces every day, which is up to 2 ½ times the level present in her blood. And because the magnesium stored within her body is not readily mobilised, she has a daily need for supplementary magnesium throughout the danger period.

The availability of magnesium in spring grass is also reduced because:

• High potash levels in grass depress magnesium uptake

• A high intake of lush, wet grass increases rumen pH which reduces the efficiency of magnesium absorption within the cow

• A rapid rate of passage of food through the gut reduces the time available for absorption

There are 3 criteria for an effective magnesium supplement:

• The level of magnesium in the formulation

• Its palatability and therefore the intake realistically achievable

• The availability of magnesium to the cow

CRYSTALYX CATTLE HIGH-MAG contains 10.5 per cent magnesium and because it is formulated with dehydrated molasses it provides a highly palatable source of magnesium (due to its high sugar content) which is readily consumed, even by cattle grazing lush spring grass. Furthermore, independent research conducted at Glasgow Vet. School has shown that the magnesium source used in Cattle High-Mag has a superior availability within the cow (so the magnesium is more efficiently absorbed) than any pure calcined magnesite source evaluated at Glasgow. This ensures that feeding CRYSTALYX significantly reduces the risk of staggers after turnout.

And because CATTLE HIGH-MAG contains the full range of essential trace elements and vitamins often lacking in grass, the risk of other nutrient deficiencies is also reduced by feeding CRYSTALYX – it really does take some licking!