Shop online or call 1-888-376-6777 to place an order. Phone

Crystal Creek® Sponsors Spooner High Chapter of Skills USA

Crystal Creek® Natural recently provided a platinum sponsorship for the Spooner Chapter of the Skills USA program.  This support provided opportunities for local high school students to learn various trade industry skills that will help ensure our nation has a strong workforce for its future.  Crystal Creek® is proud to help Skills USA provide youth with the instruction and encouragement needed to reach their career goals.  Students involved in this program created a video as a special thanks to Crystal Creek® Natural which can be viewed here:

 

The Elegance and Wisdom of Simplicity: As Applied to Dairy Ruminant Nutrition

Click here to view as a pdf:  The Elegance And Wisdom Of Simplicity

By Dan Leiterman

Preface: This is the first part of a two-part article addressing my thoughts about common sense strategies for dairy nutrition.

Throughout the ages and in all walks of life, mankind has demonstrated a relentless and instinctive desire to learn, to explore and to discover answers for the many complex mysteries of life and science. The quest for knowledge is essential to our success as a species. However, managing the new knowledge and applying it to our benefit is an ever-increasing challenge. During our journey to learn as much as we can, it is important to remember the role of simplicity as an essential tool to help us manage the overwhelming amount of information we are exposed to every day. No matter how complex the topic, it must adhere to simple, basic and sound principles so information can be applied easily and efficiently with balance. If simplicity is not taken into account, it is too easy to lose perspective on the task at hand, forget the lessons of history, and become lost in a sea of data. Information that is consistent with simple principles will advance a cohesive, wise and efficient strategy that helps us to reach a sustainable goal. Keeping a solid tie to simplicity can provide clarity and help us stay on course in the growing complexity of our world.

Read More →

How to Effectively Manage High Somatic Cell Counts

Click here to view as a pdf:  How To Effectively Manage High Somatic Cell Counts

By Teresa Marker, B.S.

Herd-wide high somatic cell count (HSCC) issues can negatively impact both milk quality and overall farm profitability. A recent study estimated that the cost of subclinical mastitis to the U.S. dairy industry exceeds $1 billion annually. The overall production loss for the average U.S. dairy farm was estimated at $110/cow annually. This loss can be attributed to discarded milk, treatment costs, extra labor costs, milk production losses, culling and death loss. The following article will outline what steps are needed to determine the cause of a high somatic cell count, how to interpret diagnostic test results and how to create a plan to help reduce the overall herd somatic cell count.

Read More →

Water Hygiene: How often Do You Think About It?

Click here to view as a pdf:  Water Hygiene How Often Do You Think About It

By Ryan Leiterman, D.V.M.

Director of Technical Services

Water is the most critical nutrient for all animals, but how often do people think about it? Would you drink out of your animal’s water trough? Research shows that poor water quality dramatically reduces water consumption, which in turn lowers production and deteriorates overall animal health. A common cause of poor water quality is biofilm formation. Preventing biofilm formation and improving water quality can be done at a low cost while providing a high return on investment for farms.

Read More →

The Impact of Fly Pressure and the Importance of Fly Control

Click here to view as a pdf:  The Impact Of Fly Pressure

By Alex Austin, B.S.

When winter is over and warm weather arrives, it is goodbye to plowing snow and dealing with frozen water and hello to green pasture and sunshine. The warmth of spring and summer can present new challenges with the hatching fly population. Livestock owners know flies cause pain and discomfort to animals but they can also have a negative economic impact. It is important to enter the summer season with an effective fly control plan in place to maintain animal health and minimize fly pressure effects on producer profitability.

Read More →