Ridley Block Operations
Blocks for Today
– Compressed
– Low moisture Block
Block Topics
• Supplement Strategies
• Manufacturing Overview
• General Product Differentiation
Beef Cow/Calf Nutrition 101
Supplementing Forage Diets
Cow/Calf nutrition
programs should
optimize resources for
Cow-Calf Production
Common Inputs
• Pasture, hay, crop residue, silage and
other forages
• Feed grains and supplements
• Labor, equipment and management
Expected Outputs
• Yearly calving interval
• Optimal calf growth
• weaning weights
• acceptable quality
criteria
• calf health
Beef Cow Nutrient
Requirements
Energy and Protein
- Key nutrients that drive
performance
Macro Minerals
- Specific conditions can
increase their importance
Ca, P, K, S, Mg
Micro Nutrients
Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, I, Vit A, D, E
(trace minerals and vitamins)
- Normal conditions require
balanced supplementation
- TM imbalances can occur
and can be a result of other
antagonists (i.e. S, Mo or Fe)
The Ruminant Advantage
• Rumen fermentation allows ruminant
animals to capture energy (cellulose) and
other nutrients from forages
• A common goal and economic advantage
is to utilize this forage/pasture resource
• Oftentimes, forages alone may not
optimize cow reproduction or cow and calf
performance needs
Positive Associative Effect
When rumen degradable protein
supplements are fed they stimulate fiber
fermentation by having a positive associative
effect on microbial populations in the rumen
2+2=5
Negative Associative Effect
Some supplements or feeds can impair fiber
fermentation and have a negative associative
effect (grains, starches or high levels of fat).
These interfere with microbial populations
that specialize in fermenting fiber.
2+2=3
Low Quality Forages
Need Help
• Fermentation of low quality forages
slows down and thereby reducing
forage intake (cows fill up)
• Supplemental protein digested in the
rumen helps increase forage fiber
digestibility and often increases the
amount of forage cows can consume
Increased digestibility = Increased intake =
Increased Nutrients
“Positive Associative Effect”
Providing rumen degradable supplemental
protein when feeding low quality forages
creates a “win-win” situation
LMB Compared to Corn on Forage Intake
Dry Matter Intake
No
Supplement
Corn
Low Moisture
Block (LMB)
Forage(5.7% CP), lb.
14.8a
13.1b
16.5c
Supplement, lb.
-
3.4
1.0
Total Intake, lb.
14.8a
16.5b
17.5c
(uncommon superscripts differ P<.05)
11% increase in forage intake for LMB
11% decrease in forage intake for corn
(KSU 1997)
LMB Compared to Corn on Forage Utilization
Digestibility
No
Supplement
Corn
Low Moisture
Block (LMB)
Forage NDF Intake, lb.
10.8a
9.6b
12.1c
NDF Digestibility, %
49.2a
42.1b
52.9a
(uncommon superscripts differ P<.05)
(KSU 1997)
12% increase in forage NDF intake for LMB
14% decrease in forage digestibility for corn
Putting
Crystalyx
Low
Quality
Forage
to work with
herd:
•your
7.0%Cow
CP and
48% TDN
• 1.75% DMI for a 1200 lb. cow
Crude Protein
Total Digestible
Nutrients
Cow Requirements
(last stage gest.), lb.
1.75
11.9
Forage, lb.
1.47
10.1
Deficiency, lb.
-.28
-1.8
Solution:Rite-Lix 32-18% CP LMB
• .75 lb. consumption
• 10% estimated increased intake
Dry Matter
Intake
Crude Protein
Total Digestible
Nutrients
Forage, lb.
23
1.61
11.04
LMB, lb.
.75
.24
.50
TOTAL
23.75 lbs.
1.85
11.54
1.75
11.9
Cow Requirements
Rite-Blox 20% Compressed Block
• 2.00 lb. consumption
• 5% estimated increased intake ?
Dry Matter
Intake
Crude Protein
Total Digestible
Nutrients
Forage, lb.
22
1.54
10.56
20% Rite-Blox, lb.
2.00
.40
1.40
TOTAL
24.0 lbs.
1.94
11.96
1.75
11.9
Cow Requirements
Aren’t we still short on energy
(TDN) for Rite-Lix example?
Don’t forget about an increase
in fiber digestibility
• Estimate 10% improvement
(11.0 + 1.1= 12.1lbs. TDN)
(Cow requirement = 11.9 lbs. TDN)
• Additional energy for body stores or
use under stress conditions
1440
1420
1431
1423
1400
lbs.
1380
1360
1340
1364
1346
1320
1300
LMB
Montana State Univ. 2002
Range Cake
October
January
Don’t forget other Rite-Lix®
Advantages
• Labor savings
• Self-Fed, available 24/7
• Highly palatable, but highly controlled intake
• Minimal delivery, feeding or storage
equipment and investment required
• Weatherproof
• Consistent, Cost-effective Results
Summary
How can a little Rite-Lix® help meet
nutrient requirements?
• Increased forage intake
• Increased digestibility of forage
• Provides additional key nutrients
How does Rite-Lix® work?
MAXIMUM
RETURN
OPTIMUM?
INPUT
When’s the BEST Time of Year
to (start) Supplement?
• Considering cow production data,
forage and economics; it’s Actually
now!
BLOCK MANUFACTURING
Quality and Experience Counts
“Batch Cooking”
Disadvantage = Cost
Advantage = Consistency
Benefit = Customer
• Rite-Lix Low moisture blocks
– Dehydrated Molasses based blocks
– Consistent low daily intakes
– Higher price point – Low Cost per hd per day
– Based on supplying first incremental nutrients
Compressed Block Manufacturing
Dry ingredients put together in a premix
Premix is metered and blended with
liquids and DDG’S in a blender &
weighed into containers
Product is compressed in containers
and immediately packaged for shipment
Rite-Blox Features
DDGS (Corn) Based Formulations
Fermented DDGS are highly palatable
Vegetable based (No Animal Protein Products)
Excellent source of Protein, Phos and Oil
Intake range provides for higher nutrient payload
Lower cost manufacturing and ingredient profile
provide a competitive price point
Quick comparisons between the blocks
Rite-Blox®
Rite-Lix®
Compressed DDGS
Dehydrated Molasses
Intake of 1.0 to 2.0 lbs
Intake of 0.5 to 1.0 lbs
Features:
Features:
Low Price Point
High Price point
Manage Intake
Consistent, Low Intake
Higher Nutrient
Predictable Product
Payload
Performance
Potential Refill Option
Low cost/hd/day
Low Moisture
Blocks
* Rite-Lix – Feed-Rite
* Crystalyx - Hubbard
* Masterlyx – Master Feeds
* Smartlic – Unifeed, Blair’s
* Vitalix Inc – Alliance NE –
Co-op
* OLS (Orwigs) – Ellendale ND Saltec, Rio Max,
* Tublicks – Out of Business
* Agri-Blok - Washington
Poured &
Compressed Blocks
* AGRI-BLOK – Morinville AB.
* Masterlyx – Morinville AB.
* UNIBLOCK – Rockyford AB.
* Power Pak – Barehead AB.
* Sweetlyx – RNS
* RiteBlox – Feed-Rite
* SweetPro – Wallhalla ND
* ProStock – UFA – ADM
* Range Buster – UFA – ADM
* Sweet Cake – Cargill Westway
“Continuous Flow” Process
MOLASSES
Advantage = Cost
Disadvantage = Consistency
Benefit = Manufacturer
STEAM
Low Moisture
Blocks
* Rite-Lix – Feed-Rite
* Crystalyx - Hubbard
* Masterlyx – Master Feeds
* Smartlic – Unifeed, Blair’s
* Vitalix Inc – Alliance NE –
Co-op
* OLS (Orwigs) – Ellendale ND
- Saltec, Rio Max,
* Tublicks – Out of Business
* Agri-Blok - Washington
Poured Blocks
Poured blocks are made by combining
primarily liquid ingredients with some
reactive ingredient(s)
Process varies tremendously between
manufacturers
– Liquid and reactive ingredients
Packaging (Poured Blocks)
Plastic
Cardboard boxes
Poured Blocks
Poured & Compressed Blocks
* AGRI-BLOK – Morinville AB.
* Masterlyx – Morinville AB.
* UNIBLOCK – Rockyford AB.
* Power Pak – Barehead AB.
* RiteBlox – Feed-Rite
* SweetPro – Wallhalla ND
* ProStock – UFA – ADM
* Range Buster – UFA – ADM
* Sweet Cake – Westway
Quick comparisons between the blocks
Rite-Blox®
Rite-Lix®
Compressed DDGS
Dehydrated Molasses
Intake of 1.0 to 2.0 lbs
Intake of 0.5 to 1.0 lbs
Features:
Features:
Low Price Point
High Price point
Manage Intake
Consistent, Low Intake
Higher Nutrient
Predictable Product
Payload
Performance
Low cost/hd/day