Do Dairy Differently is the motto behind the Crystalyx' launch of a bespoke nutritional programmes in order to secure significantly improved levels of performance at all stages of a dairy animal’s life.

Its new dairy range comprises of the following products: Calf 100; Easy Breather; Heifer 730; Heifer Garlyx Grazer; Transition Dry Cow and Transition 100. All of which have undertaken intense individual research.

“The absolute priority for dairy farmers is to meet the nutritional needs of their animals – from conception through to the end of what should be a long and productive ‘working life’,” said Graeme Warnock, marketing manager for Scotmin Nutrition, a division of Crystalyx.

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The trials highlighted the need to meet the specific nutritional needs of the transition cow and those animals during the first 100 days of their new lactation. They were undertaken to verify the benefits of the range of nutritional solutions, specifically developed by Crystalyx.

“We need to be confident in the product we are selling and backing it up by individual research is the only way for farmers’ not to rely on our word only but to have the evidence in front of them,” explained Graeme.

Caltech technical director, Cliff Lister, commented: “There are key pinch points in the growth of dairy heifers. The same principle holds when it comes to the successful management of cows, pre calving, and for the first 100 days of their lactation. Mistakes made at these junctures will impair the growth of heifers or, in the case of cows in milk, will take an entire lactation to rectify.”

Trial work took place in the UK, across Europe and in New Zealand.

Results show that heifers provided with Crystalyx saw calving interval was reduced by 21 days in compared to the controlled heifer group

“This is of course making the cow more profitable as she will be in calf quicker, but it is also saving producers additional costs of AI straws and time,” said Dr Cliff Lister.

Another huge indicator was increased Total Dry Matter Intake during transition which reduces the risk of severe NEB and other metabolic issues.

On the close-up trial period a 13% increase was recorded, whilst the colostrum and transition trial periods witnessed a 14% and 15% jump respectively in Total Dry Matter Intake.

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Significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions were also produced from growing heifers which saw an 18.7% decline in methane production per kg of liveweight gain – a huge boost to the future with constant ‘green’ legislations coming into place.

“In all measured parameters of reproduction, the Crystalyx-fed cows performed better than the controls,” concluded Dr Lister.