Name: Crystal Creek
Address: 1600 Roundhouse Road, Spooner, WI, 54801, US
Telephone: 1-888-376-6777
Price range: $

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

What Our Inoc-U-Lock™ Line of Forage Inoculants Has To Offer For Your Farm

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By Carley Ciolkosz, B.S.
Livestock Nutritionist

One of the main goals on farms is for profitable livestock, and the foundation that profitable livestock rely on is feeding high quality forages. The need to feed high quality forages is critical to a healthy bottom line for any dairy or beef producer. Research has shown that applying a high-quality inoculant to forages at the time of ensiling can in turn provide a significant return on investment for the producer. There are many benefits to a well-designed inoculant program including speeding up fermentation which leads to reducing dry matter loss, reducing protein degradation and energy loss, stabilizing face quality, improving bunk shelf life, enhanced dry matter intake and improved forage digestibility. Crystal Creek® believes that our line of Inoc-U-Lock™ forage inoculants will help producers reach these goals on their farms.

Inoc-U-Lock™: Forage Ensiling Program

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Learn more about how Inoc-U-Lock™ can work for your operation in the product video below:

Inoc-U-Lock™ : Preserving Forages And Protecting Your Hard Work

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By Teresa Marker, B.S.

Feeding high-quality forage to livestock can help improve animal performance, health and producer profitability. Properly inoculating livestock feedstuffs with an inoculant that provides complete and controlled fermentation is key. The Crystal Creek® product Inoc-U-Lock^™ provides many benefits such as reduced dry matter loss, improved nutrient retention (protein and energy) during storage, improved aerobic stability and a reduced risk of heating in the bunk. A properly fermented feed preserves the quality of the forage that is harvested and can ultimately result in increased milk production and improved animal health.

Reducing Feed Shrink Can Increase Your Profitability

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By Teresa Marker, B.S.

Feed costs, both farm-raised and purchased, are usually the largest expenses on a dairy farm. In today’s economy, finding areas of opportunity for extra profit has become more critical than ever before. Evaluating a farm’s feed waste/loss, commonly referred to as shrink, is an area that should be scrutinized. Shrink can have a significant impact on feed quality, quantity, and profit. Silage shrink can range from 7-48% depending on a variety of factors, with 10-20% being typical. Reducing shrink on your farm will not only improve the inventory volume of feed but it will also help retain nutrients resulting in better nutrition and higher milk production and profit.

A New Generation Of Mycotoxin Technology

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By Dan Leiterman

In my April 2016 newsletter article “Managing Mycotoxins In Feedstuffs: Mycotoxin Binder Strategies”, I explained the significant negative effects mycotoxins have on livestock health and production. That article pointed out the previous challenges of inaccurate lab analysis of mycotoxins, how to interpret a lab analysis to determine a management plan for a given level of exposure and the subsequent limitations of strategies available at the time. This article can be found on our website under the “Articles” tab, under the sub-category of “Inoculant.”

Forage Sampling

Click here to view as a pdf: Forage Sampling Updated 2022

By Alex Austin, B.S.

It is important to sample forages before adding them to a livestock diet. Sampling allows producers to have a balanced ration for their livestock and test for mycotoxins. It also gives farmers a snapshot into their agronomy, harvesting, and storage practices. The results of a forage sample will only be as good as the technique and effort that went into obtaining it.

Anti-Nutritional Trends And Thoughts With 2017 Feeds Across The Midwest

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By Dr. John Goeser, Phd, PAS & Dipl. ACAN-Rock River Laboratory, Inc.

Contributing Editor

Historically, mold, yeast and mycotoxins are thought of as the primary contaminants in feed that rob high performing dairy cattle of health and nutrition. More recently, stress and pathogenic bacteria have been better recognized as contributing factors that interact with fungal and mycotoxin contaminants. See Figure 1.

The Importance Of Forage Testing

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By Dan Leiterman

The age old question of “How often should I test my forage?” has a different answer for every operation. Field sizes, crop varieties, harvest timing, and storage methods play an important role in determining forage testing needs. It is important to watch for changes in forage quality by observing your cows. Dry matter is the one exception for testing needs, as this should be evaluated weekly. There are several low cost, on-farm testing options available to monitor the dry matter of forages, such as a Koster tester or a microwave.

Reducing Feed Waste Can Return Big $

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By Teresa Marker, B.S.

Farmers are always looking for ways to improve their bottom line. One aspect that can easily be overlooked is feed loss due to issues in fermentation, storage, feedout or bunk management. This article provides ideas to help reduce feed waste that can improve a farm’s profitability.

Ask The Vet / Ask The Nutritionist

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“How do you determine the right time to harvest corn silage and how long should I wait before feeding this year’s silage?”

The proper timing of harvesting corn silage is of the utmost importance. If corn silage is harvested when it is too wet, it can grow mold and/or clostridia and there is a greater chance that butyric acid will form leading to dry matter loss, poor feed quality and decreased feed intake. Harvesting corn silage when it is too dry will cause poor packing in the storage structure, poor fermentation and possible heating in the bunk. All of these factors can lead to an increased dry matter loss during fermentation, spoilage and poor bunk life. Dry corn silage is also less digestible. Harvesting corn silage at just the right time will produce high quality silage which will result in optimum animal performance. Factors to consider when harvesting corn silage include: