Crystalix worth it or not?

Danvd

Member
Location
Sussex
As the title suggests. I started using it a few years ago, so mainly Pre lambing and during lambing. But just wondering if it really makes a difference, and at nearly £900 a pallet, that could be put elsewhere. I put out the black high mag ones in spring because I feel they're quite important. Ewes are big suffolk/mule and get through a fair bit of grub. I thought the crystalix would just give them something else to stop them getting "bored". But maybe some whole beats lobbed about could be an option too??
 
I bought a ton of rumeco maxx buckets this year to prevent TLD. More problems than ever but difficult to compare years, I suppose. Could have bought three tonnes of ewe rolls for the same money though. That type of bucket very expensive for what that are.
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Crystalyx are an excellent additional feed source where sheep are on poor quality forage through the winter and into early spring.
However using them after the grass starts to grow would be an unnecessary cost.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Certainly wouldn't be spending £900 / pallet 'in case they got bored'. But as Frank says they have a role to play if on very low quality grazing and you don't want the work of feeding concentrates.
 
Location
Norfolk
Used 5 tonnes this year. They are the best blocks for poor forage. As soon as the ewes lambed and got on better forage they stopped taking them. If you have time and the sheep are nearby I would use a snacker and give them some grub, my ewes are over a 30 mile radius so not an option.
 

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
good blocks for poor forage (the urea is the important part ) as above , they wont lick them if not needed and when they eat to much time to get them moved ,

the biggest issue with any bucket is spreading pink eye about in winter , been a nightmare the last few years even though nothing visible pre blocks , cost a fortune in ABs
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Good way of getting minerals into them even in the spring (admittedly I'm talking cows) especially if you never give them hard grub. Little trick is to put a couple of rockies on the top and they sink in and limit the intake of the tub.
 

Bones

Member
Location
n Ireland
As the title suggests. I started using it a few years ago, so mainly Pre lambing and during lambing. But just wondering if it really makes a difference, and at nearly £900 a pallet, that could be put elsewhere. I put out the black high mag ones in spring because I feel they're quite important. Ewes are big suffolk/mule and get through a fair bit of grub. I thought the crystalix would just give them something else to stop them getting "bored". But maybe some whole beats lobbed about could be an option too??
Go for the beet. Better by far
 

exmoor dave

Member
Location
exmoor, uk
Have used alot of crystalyx 80kg tubs and rumivite blocks in the past.

Your are effectively paying alot of money for "convenience" factor,
If stock are eating any sort of amount of blocks or buckets then it's always gong to be much cheaper to feed cake, but that's not so convenient.

I'd say the place is on poor forage where stock just need that top up. But it's still a very expensive way of doing it unless you work on them taking very small amounts, then it's a case of do they even need it.

If it's minerals that you need to get in to stock then crystalyx/ blocks aren't they way to do it as they are feed blocks- they are there really to supply energy and protein,
There's better cheaper ways of supplying minerals.


Crystalyx works best in cold weather, soon as it warms up the buckets soften considerably abd the stock can gorge as they don't have to work so hard.


This past winter I've pretty much changed over to 3-in-1 feeders, feeding oat/cake mix.
Very pleased with the results, I'm looking at it more as I can feed much more feed for the same ££££, but equally you could look at it as feeding the same intake as crystalyx for far less money.


Still using mole blocks for small mobs I can't justify feeders for.

Mag buckets out at danger periods
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
There is a lot cheaper options out there than Crystalix. Would need to check but think I got an own brand in 80kg's at £450/tonne a couple of months ago.

If you've got wild pig about then crystalyx is the only choice. We found that the crystalyx were far harder than the cheaper alternatives and couldn't be 'tusked' as easy.
 

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