CRYSTALYX® effect confirmed in field trial
“The increase in dry matter intake from forage helps me get more energy into the cow. In addition, the forage is digested better and utilised more effectively.”
This is how Andy Ostendorf puts things in a nutshell in his project thesis. The farmer from Butjadingen in Lower Saxony, Germany, will continue to rely on CRYSTALYX® when dealing with poor-quality forage.
In the framework of a project work of the agricultural college, Andy Ostendorf conducted a feeding trial on his parents’ dairy farm. In this trial, the effect of CRYSTALYX® Cattle Booster on parameters such as forage intake, milk yield and fertility was examined.
From October 2016 until March 2017, Ostendorf separated the approximately 120 dairy cows of the farm, which are housed in a loose barn with cubicles, into two homogeneous separate herds – one experimental group and one control group. Both groups lived under identical environmental conditions and were fed identical diets. The experimental group additionally received CRYSTALYX® Cattle Booster.
The results at a glance (changes in the experimental group compared to the control group):
Along with the increase of forage intake and the supplementation of CRYSTALYX®, the energy supply increased. This resulted in an increase of the milk yield by 1.8 kg ECM and improvement of the body condition by 0.3 BCS points at the end of the experiment. The increased success rate of first inseminations can be related to the improvement of the energy metabolism as well.
Another striking result was an increased feed digestion, which was determined by sieving the faeces. The improved digestion of the forage is demonstrated by the increase in feed efficiency from 1.40 to 1.48 (kg of milk divided by kg of DM intake).
The economic advantage in support of the experimental group considers the higher milk yield less the costs for CRYSTALYX® only. Other cost benefits due to an improved fertility (reduction of the number of open days) or an improved animal health have not been taken into account.
This field trial once more confirmed the positive effect CRYSTALYX® has on the intake and digestibility of forage.
