Name: Crystal Creek
Address: 1600 Roundhouse Road, Spooner, WI, 54801, US
Telephone: 1-888-376-6777
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Farmer Feature – Chad McCauley

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Chad McCauley

Reedsburg, WI

Crystal Creek® recently sat down with Chad McCauley, a dairy goat farmer in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. He milks between 200-220 goats of different breeds such as La Mancha, Alpine and Nubian. Chad discussed his operation and life lessons he’s learned along the way.

Why milk goats over some other type of farming, and what are some of the differences?

When I started in 2015, it was too expensive to buy cows, so I got into goats. A big difference is that there is less prepping before milking with goats. They also tend to spend more time in the barn. One of my goals now is to have a bigger barn where I can control everything; you can control the lights, the fans, the feed, the whole nine yards.

Dairy Goats: A Growing Industry

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By Alex Austin, B.S.

The dairy goat industry in the U.S. has grown significantly in the past 20 years. Between the growing trend of homesteading and producers looking to expand into more diverse markets, many are seeing the benefits goats bring with their smaller, easy-to-manage size. More consumers are also discovering the diverse products dairy goats produce such as their milk, cheese, lotion and more.

Although we have seen the number of dairy farms shrinking in Wisconsin and other states, the number of dairy goats has been on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s last census done in 2017, dairy goat herds have increased in all 48 states, with the number of operations more than doubling. The number rose 61 percent between 2007 and 2017. Out of all the states, Wisconsin had the largest increase with 47,000 animals.

Nutrient Deficiencies in Small Ruminants

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By Alex Austin, B.S.

A balanced diet is important for the health and productivity of all livestock. This article will discuss some of the more common nutrient deficiencies/imbalances in both sheep and goats. Minerals, specifically, are all connected and work together to keep animals healthy and productive. An excess or deficiency of one can lead to imbalances in another, causing potential health issues. For example, excess calcium can cause the blood vessels to lose vascular tone and eventually rupture. Potassium works with sodium to regulate the body’s water balance. It is important to be able to identify any signs of imbalance in order to correct and prevent issues in a herd.

How to Effectively Manage High Somatic Cell Counts

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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.

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?

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.”

Interpreting The Value Of A Livestock Mineral

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Customer Favorite This article was originally published in the April 2012 Issue of the Crystal Creek® Newsletter

By Dan Leiterman

The goal of this article is to offer insight in determining the value of a livestock mineral. The value can be determined by combining the information supplied on the label and visual observation of the mineral itself, along with some basic ingredient knowledge. A critical analysis will consider ingredient quality, nutrient bioavailability and possible negative, unintended consequences associated with poor ingredient quality or inappropriate formulation techniques.

Crystal Creek® Foundation Grain Mix: Innovative Nutrition For All Livestock

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By Alex Austin, B.S.

Crystal Creek® is excited to offer an innovative approach to providing quality nutrition to your livestock. Crystal Creek® Foundation Grain Mix is a new product offering high grade grains resulting in excellent performance nutrition. Pairing Crystal Creek® Foundation Grain Mix with the appropriate Crystal Creek® mineral will provide a superior quality complete feed.

Pregnancy Toxemia In Goats

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By Teresa Marker, B.S.

Farmers consistently look for ways to be more efficient with time, money and resources. Hidden profit thieves in dairy operations can have a tremendous impact on a farmer’s bottom line. One hidden profit thief in dairy goat operations is pregnancy toxemia. This metabolic disorder is present in approximately 13% of does and has a herd prevalence of over 87%.¹

Dairy Goats Benefit From High Quality Nutrition

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By Dan Leiterman

Goats are competent browsers, which leads to the misconception that goats can eat and thrive on almost anything. In reality, because goats have a shorter digestive system relative to their body size, food is not retained as long. This increases the need for both higher levels of nutrition and higher quality nutrients. This faster digestive pass through time, reduces nutrient absorption, but also allows goats the ability to increase their dry matter intake to offset the short access time to nutrition. The range of dry matter intake for goats is 3 to 5 % of their body weight which is typically higher than other ruminants.¹

A goat’s diet may consist of a wide variety of feedstuffs. Goats can browse on shrubs, graze on pasture and can accommodate supplemental grain feeding when necessary to meet nutritional requirements during times of higher production or winter months.