Canine Nutrition At Windy Hill Kennel

Click here to view as a pdf: Windy Hill Kennel

By Ben Hickerson, B.S.

Nestled in the hills of Holmes County, Ohio, you will find Windy Hill Kennel, owned and operated by Robert Beachy. Robert’s interest in dogs and dog breeding started as a young boy when his father owned a few dogs as a hobby breeder. In the spring of 2000, Robert expanded on his interest and started a new endeavor with a small kennel consisting of Boston Terriers, Shiba’s, and English Bulldogs. After 12 years in the dog breeding industry, Robert decided to take his facility to the next level and make it the best it could be.

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Improving Butterfat: Using Components To Drive Profitability

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By Erik Brettingen, B.S.

With the economic challenges facing the dairy industry today, farmers are looking for any and every way to increase profit and maintain sustainability. We are currently in a market where the volume of milk is exceeding the demand. In this situation, striving to produce more milk can be expensive and often have a minimal return. An alternative to increased volume is increasing the nutrient quality of the milk through higher butterfat content. This can make a large impact on a farm’s bottom line. In July of 2019, the average national price paid for butterfat was $2.69 per pound.¹ A cow producing 75 pounds of milk could increase income by $0.30 per day if butterfat content was raised from 3.6 to 3.9%. Along with the economic impact, higher components are also a sign of good rumen health indicating efficient digestion. Increasing butterfat is not always easy, but there are strategies that can help improve milk components to drive a farm’s profitability.

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Crystal Creek’s Beef Mineral Has A New Name: Return On Investment (ROI®)

Click here to view as a pdf: Crystal Creeks Beef Mineral Has A New Name ROI

By Teresa Marker, B.S.

Crystal Creek® is launching a new name for our beef mineral, now known as ROI® Beef Mineral. R.O.I. is an acronym commonly used in the investing community that stands for Return on Investment. The definition of return on investment (R.O.I.) is a ratio between net profit and the cost of investment. When looking at an input, like a mineral supplement, a producer should always evaluate the cost of the input against the return it will generate. To justify its use, any input will need to show a positive return; whether the effect is on animal health, net profit, or both. Before understanding the economics of mineral supplementation for beef cows, we must first understand the important roles that minerals play in the body.

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The Myth Of “All-In-One” Small Ruminant Feed And Mineral

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By Alex Austin, B.S.

Sheep and goats are a completely different species. They have a different number of chromosomes; sheep have 54 and goats have 60. They have different feeding preferences; sheep prefer to graze on pasture, while goats will browse and eat more twigs and brush. Another significant difference is their nutritional requirements. So, if these small ruminants are so different why does the feed industry promote an all-in-one sheep and goat mineral and all-stock feed?

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Dr. Leiterman Contributes To Progressive Dairy

Visit Crystal Creek at World Dairy Expo 2019

Visit Crystal Creek® at World Dairy Expo in Trade Center Booth # 893. October 1st through October 5th, 2019. Check here for a daily schedule of events: https://worlddairyexpo.com/pages/Daily-Schedule.php or stop by our office headquarters in Spooner, WI where you can pick up a brochure containing the daily schedule before the show. Expo provides an excellent opportunity to learn about new products, exciting developments in innovation, and network with existing and new industry professionals. Crystal Creek® will have nutrition and calf barn ventilation specialists on hand at their booth daily to answer your questions. We look forward to seeing you at World Dairy Expo 2019!

Dr. Ryan Leiterman Contributes to Progressive Dairy Magazine

Dr. Ryan Leiterman’s recent article “Drafts: A Calf’s Best Friend or Greatest Foe” has been published in the Progressive Dairy Magazine. This article addresses why drafts are traditionally thought of as a negative experience for calves and how they can be used to one’s advantage in certain situations. Read more here to learn what the pros and cons of drafts can be in calf barn ventilation.

Click here to view as a pdf: A calf’s best friend or greatest foe

Dr. Ryan Leiterman holds degrees in both Agricultural Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.

By Dr. Ryan Leiterman

Drafts and pre-weaned calves – rarely is a topic so misunderstood. Many calf raisers are uncomfortable with the topic of drafts on calves, regardless of the outside temperature. Most people believe drafts are to be avoided at all costs. I once heard of a veterinarian who would spark a lighter in a calf pen and if the flame flickered, even the slightest bit, would declare the presence of a dangerous draft. Contrary to popular belief, however, drafts on pre-weaned calves are not always a bad thing. In fact, in certain situations, they can even be beneficial.

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Dairy Radio Now: “ASK THE VET”

Dr. Ryan Leiterman, Director of Technical Services for Crystal Creek®, is pleased to be a regular contributor to the Dairy Radio Now program with host, Bill Baker. Dr. Leiterman will speak on topics relevant to the dairy calf industry in a featured segment called “Ask the Vet“. Visit Dairy Radio Now at https://dairyradio.com/

This segment is heard on Dairy Radio Now the first Wednesday of every month.

EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO askthevet@crystalcreeknatural.com

5/8/2024: ASK THE VET: Calf Barn Drawing Technology

4/2/2024: ASK THE VET: Dairy Milk Pricing Part 2

3/5/2024: ASK THE VET: Dairy Milk Pricing

2/7/2024: ASK THE VET: The Highs and Lows of Winter Temperatures

10/5/2023: ASK THE VET: Calves Are Amazing

8/7/2023: ASK THE VET: The Heat is On- Keep Calves Cool

5/4/2023: ASK THE VET: Mastitis Cases Expected To Rise During Summer Months

4/6/2023: ASK THE VET: The Skin Is A Window To The Immune System

3/2/2023: ASK THE VET: Strange Vet Visits

2/1/2023: ASK THE VET: Calf Friendly Feeding

1/5/2023: ASK THE VET: Feeding Young Calves More Frequently

12/09/2022: ASK THE VET: The Physiology of Feeding Calves

11/02/2022: ASK THE VET: Feeding Fiber Over Starch

10/06/2022: ASK THE VET: Dealing with High Corn Prices

9/07/2022: ASK THE VET: Calf Diarrhea: Two Causes, Two Strategies

8/03/2022: ASK THE VET: The Science Behind Heat Stress

7/06/2022: ASK THE VET: Keeping Cows Cool

6/01/2022: ASK THE VET: Taking Care of Man’s Best Friend

5/04/2022: ASK THE VET: Improving Rumen Microbial Growth

4/07/2022: ASK THE VET: Mixing Milk Replacer: A Daily Task

3/02/2022: ASK THE VET: Calf Feeding Programs Vary

2/02/2022: ASK THE VET: The Importance of Calf Milk Replacer

1/05/2022: ASK THE VET: Keeping Fans on During Winter

12/01/2021: ASK THE VET: Dairying in Northern Italy

11/03/2021: ASK THE VET: Tweaking the Dairy Ration

10/06/2021: ASK THE VET: Calf Care During Seasonal Changes

09/01/2021: ASK THE VET: Gleaning Information from Forage Fermentation Profiles

08/11/2021: ASK THE VET: Forage Program Begins with Fermentation Profile

07/07/2021: ASK THE VET: Home Grown Forage Digestibility

06/02/2021: ASK THE VET: Tweaking the Dairy Ration

05/06/2021: ASK THE VET: As the Skin Goes, the Immune System Goes

04/07/2021: ASK THE VET: Skin Condition Relates to the Immune System

3/02/2021: ASK THE VET: Keeping Water Safe and Clean

2/03/2021: ASK THE VET: Biofilm Awareness

1/06/2021: ASK THE VET: Understanding Winter Ventilation

12/03/2020: ASK THE VET: Minimizing the Risk of Ketosis

11/04/2020: ASK THE VET: Ketosis Testing & Treatment Options

10/07/2020: ASK THE VET: Testing for Ketosis

09/02/2020: ASK THE VET: Calf Diarrhea is Cause for Concern

08/04/2020: ASK THE VET: The Heat Is On

07/01/2020: ASK THE VET: Why Vaccines Fail-Part 2

06/03/2020: ASK THE VET: Knowing Your Calf Vaccines-Part 1

05/06/2020: ASK THE VET: Tips for Feeding Calves

04/01/2020: ASK THE VET: Biofilms in Agriculture

03/04/2020: ASK THE VET: Spring Cleaning with Results

02/05/2020: ASK THE VET: Feeding Young Calves

01/02/2020: Heat and Winter Barn Ventilation

12/4/19: Winter Barn Ventilation Tips

11/6/19: Don’t Limit Winter Barn Circulation

10/2/19: ‘Tis The Season to Control Air Flow

9/5/19: Six ‘Spokes’ to Calf Health

8/7/19: Beat the Heat with Proper Ventilation

7/3/19: Dairying in Russia

6/5/19: Observations From Europe

5/1/19: German Farming Practices

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August 2019 Newsletter

Click here to view as a pdf: 2019 August Newsletter

Progressive Dairyman Features Recent Article by Crystal Creek® Ventilation Specialist

Crystal Creek® is pleased to announce Jessica Getschel’s most recent calf barn ventilation article published in the Progressive Dairyman Magazine. Jessica is a livestock nutritionist and ventilation specialist at Crystal Creek® and holds a bachelor of science degree from University Wisconsin Madison in Dairy Science and Microbiology.

Click here to view as a pdf: Calf-barn-ventilation–Install-new-or-make-improvements_-0519CA_NOAds