Crystalyx high energy buckets

Username John

Hello,

I see over on the BFF they talk highly of these buckets. I am planning to get a few this season for the in-lamb ewes when they are outside, just to see what they're like.

But wondering if anyone here has used em before, and what they thought?

I thought I saw someone mention they got em for cows, any feedback on them yet?

Thanks.

whelan1

i used the beef booster ones, used them for pedigree bulls to help them loose their coats, they really go through them quickly and they lost their coats, have used them the last few years

vanderbadger

Username John wrote: »

Hello,

I see over on the BFF they talk highly of these buckets. I am planning to get a few this season for the in-lamb ewes when they are outside, just to see what they're like.

But wondering if anyone here has used em before, and what they thought?

I thought I saw someone mention they got em for cows, any feedback on them yet?

Thanks.

bought a big precalver thing for them, it was 80kg i think, bastard of a thing to move about but the cows cleaned it in jig time, i cant remember the price of it butit was too dear to keep buying so i went back to using powder minerals

grange mac

vanderbadger wrote: »

bought a big precalver thing for them, it was 80kg i think, bastard of a thing to move about but the cows cleaned it in jig time, i cant remember the price of it butit was too dear to keep buying so i went back to using powder minerals

bought a 40kg beef during summer was e40, the 20kg was e24, didnt price the 80kg as was one big bucket!!!

manjou

Used the hi mag ones last year very dear.Cows had them gone alot faster than ones i uesd before.Went back to previous ones.

AntrimGlens

Username John wrote: »

Hello,

I see over on the BFF they talk highly of these buckets. I am planning to get a few this season for the in-lamb ewes when they are outside, just to see what they're like.

But wondering if anyone here has used em before, and what they thought?

Always keep a few of the 80kg ones out with the ewes every year after scanning and the ewes love them, never had a case of twin lamb disease since i started using them compared to the top flock buckets. Leave them with the ewes when they go into the house just prior to lambing and it really keeps the ewes content and ensures those that are picky eaters get their minerals. They are costly enough, £65 for an 80kg but the good thing about the big tubs can't blow around the fields. We use the pre calver and hi mag ones for the cows and the ones with garlic to keep the flies away in the summer. When we used to get a summer!:(

Username John

AntrimGlens wrote: »

Username John wrote: »

Hello,

I see over on the BFF they talk highly of these buckets. I am planning to get a few this season for the in-lamb ewes when they are outside, just to see what they're like.

But wondering if anyone here has used em before, and what they thought?

Always keep a few of the 80kg ones out with the ewes every year after scanning and the ewes love them, never had a case of twin lamb disease since i started using them compared to the top flock buckets. Leave them with the ewes when they go into the house just prior to lambing and it really keeps the ewes content and ensures those that are picky eaters get their minerals. They are costly enough, £65 for an 80kg but the good thing about the big tubs can't blow around the fields. We use the pre calver and hi mag ones for the cows and the ones with garlic to keep the flies away in the summer. When we used to get a summer!:(

Thanks for response AntrimGlens.

If you don't mind me asking, what kinda system do you run? Do you keep all the sheep out til just before lambing, or do you house them for a set time over the winter?
And, if you outwinter, can I ask what your feeding regime is?
We always keep them out on grass, and gave them ration for the last 4-6 weeks pre-lambing, but from what i read, people seem to replace some of the concentrate feeding, or maybe put it off til the last 2-3 weeks pre lambing when using these buckets...
Or am I just buying into the crystalyx marketing too much

Thanks.

AntrimGlens

Hi John,
I run a couple of hundred mules and hundred pb dorsets, tips got out on 10th oct or so to start lambing 1st week march. Once ewes are tipped they go to the hill until new years eve and are brought in for scanning. Triplets are housed on wood chip and started on about 0.2kg of 18% ration for two weeks, increased to 0.5kg for 4 weeks then 1 - 1.5kg just before lambing, twins are kept on bare grazing and fed ad lib silage and crystalyx tubs. Singles are either put back to the hill or rough grazing and given tubs until two weeks before lambing and then fed ad lib silage, never getting meal. Ewes are condition scored every fortnight and injected with heptavac p before lambing to protect the lambs from clostridial and pasturella diseases, thinner ewes are housed with the triplets. six weeks before due date twins are given 0.5kg of 18% ration and then housed on wood chip at the end of Feb, where they get access to ad lib silage and 1kg ration, still keep the tubs with them at all times.
I continuallly condition score the ewes and anything thin or not eating gets pulled into the triplets and receives more ration. the crystalyx tubs are expensive but to be honest i've never had the ewes go down with hypocalcemia and they are much less stressed and always have good milk. My iodine and selenium levels are very low thus the boluses, but the tubs do help to keep Vit E levels up in the lambs, i used to have a bit of trouble with white muscle disease and this appears to have gone..

Muckit

vanderbadger wrote: »

bought a big precalver thing for them, it was 80kg i think, bastard of a thing to move about but the cows cleaned it in jig time, i cant remember the price of it butit was too dear to keep buying so i went back to using powder minerals

I think mineral buckets in general have a lot of molasses in them. As you say Vander, hard to keep them in front of stock. Changed here to loose minerals also. If cattle need it they'I take it without having to have molasses through it.

vanderbadger

They also have a product called easi breather. It's fo,r calves. Mine have finally started licking it after leaving it there for ages. Supposed to help coughs etc

1chippy

After reading this thread, i done a bit of an experiment. i have 4 batches of weanlings which were all getting ctc mixed with the meal. I threw in 2 buckets with2 of the groups. went round them all today. the 2 groups with the easi breather both have stopped coughing. mighty stuff imo.

vanderbadger

1chippy wrote: »

After reading this thread, i done a bit of an experiment. i have 4 batches of weanlings which were all getting ctc mixed with the meal. I threw in 2 buckets with2 of the groups. went round them all today. the 2 groups with the easi breather both have stopped coughing. mighty stuff imo.

That's interesting. My autumn calves are coughing. They have only kinda started licking the easi breather. I got a few bags of ctc myself the other day from vet