On the Isle of Arran, Callum Lindsay combines soil testing, better forage, targeted trace elements and Crystalyx feed blocks to support flock and herd performance across 12,500 acres of predominantly upland ground.
His approach starts with the soil and home-grown forage. He then uses blood testing and targeted supplementation around tupping, lambing, calving and turnout. Crystalyx feed blocks help fill nutritional gaps where routine supplementary feeding is difficult, while their placement also helps move livestock across challenging grazing.
Upland farming
Callum farms with his wife Zara across their home farm at Hillside, a tenancy at Monyquil and a contract farming agreement at Glenree Estate. Their system includes 3,600 breeding ewes, 47 commercial suckler cows and a 32-head pedigree Luing herd. Around 95% of the land is upland, ranging from peat, heather and scree to areas of improved green ground.
Island logistics make forward planning essential. Livestock travel by ferry to mainland markets and every farm input must be brought onto Arran.
“The boat’s king,” Callum says. “You have no control over it – if it’s not running because of bad weather, you’re not going anywhere.”
Matching livestock nutrition to forage and trace element needs
Selenium and cobalt deficiency are important considerations across the farm, especially around breeding and birth. Callum uses soil analysis, flock blood testing, boluses, drenches and feed blocks to build a programme around the needs of each group at each stage of the year.
“The way I see trace elements and livestock is like pH in the soil,” he says. “Unless you’re maintaining it and keeping your elements right and neutralised, you’re not going to get the optimum potential out of your livestock.”
That targeted approach matters on extensive ground, where feeding every animal conventionally is neither practical nor efficient.
For the sheep, Callum uses Crystalyx Extra High Energy to help top up forage and maintain ewe condition. The cattle programme uses products selected for different seasonal priorities: Cattle High-Mag during periods of magnesium risk, Pre-Calver during the dry period and Cattle Booster where extra support for forage utilisation and performance is required.
“The volume and nature of ground we’re covering means we’re not able to supplementary feed everything,” Callum explains. “We have to find a balance to make the system work – buckets form a big part of that.”
The feed blocks do more than provide supplementary nutrients. Callum moves them to encourage livestock into selected areas, helping manage grazing pressure and direct animals onto ground that would otherwise be difficult to use. In bracken areas, this can also encourage trampling.
“As much as we’re putting buckets out for the trace element and nutritional aspect, we’re using them as a management tool,” he says.
The ‘golden circle’: soil, forage, supplementation and genetics
Supplementation is only one part of the system. Callum soil samples every year so lime and fertiliser can be targeted field by field. On suitable in-bye ground, direct drilling and over-seeding improve the sward without taking land out of production. As forage quality has improved, he has seen bucket intake ease at lambing on those areas.
“The way I see upland farming, it’s like a golden circle,” Callum says. “Each thing feeds into the next; if you start getting one thing right, you’re going to see improvements across the board.”
The same evidence-led thinking shapes trace element timing. Annual ewe blood samples help monitor selenium and cobalt status, and the results have influenced when boluses and drenches are given. Once soil, forage and nutrition are better balanced, Callum can make clearer breeding and culling decisions.
Stronger lambs and a resilient hill farming system
Callum says the first Arran hill flock scan was 95%; it is now around 122%. He does not view a higher scanning percentage as the only goal, however. On the hardest hill ground, ewe capacity and lamb vigour matter more than maximising numbers.
“It’s better for ewes to raise one vigorous lamb than struggle with twins,” he says.
The result is a practical whole-farm nutrition strategy: improve the soil, get more from forage, identify deficiencies and supply targeted support at the points when sheep and cattle need it most.
Why Crystalyx?
Callum selects different Crystalyx products as the nutritional priorities of his sheep and cattle change through the year. Each product complements the forage base at a particular production stage or period of risk.
“I’ve tried other buckets, but I’ll always come back to Crystalyx – it has everything in it that my stock need and by rotating within the range, we can provide what they need for the right time of year,” Callum says.
Crystalyx Extra High Energy
This high-protein, high-energy feed tub is designed for ewes, rams and lambs. It complements forage with energy, minerals, trace elements and vitamins, helping ewes reach and maintain condition, supporting pregnancy and encouraging vigorous, healthy lambs. View full product information.
Crystalyx Cattle Booster
This feed tub is designed to help cattle make better use of forage by supporting intake and digestibility. Its combination of energy, minerals, trace elements and vitamins can help growing cattle perform and support health, body condition and fertility in breeding animals. View full product information.
Crystalyx Cattle High-Mag
This product provides a palatable source of magnesium for beef and dairy cattle during periods of increased risk, particularly when grazing lush spring or autumn grass. It is formulated to help maintain normal blood magnesium levels while also balancing pasture with essential minerals, trace elements and vitamins. View full product information.
Crystalyx Pre-Calver
This product is formulated for beef and dairy cows during the dry period. Its low-calcium, high-magnesium profile is designed to support magnesium status and muscle tone before calving, helping cows prepare for calving and transition more smoothly into lactation. View full product information.
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