Dangers of Iron in Beef Cow Pastures

Grazing cattle may be susceptible to several disorders

ane. Bloat

The incidence of bloat in cattle grazing legumes is well documented. Bloat is caused past the rapid fermentation of legume plants that produce high levels of gas equally a by-production of the fermentation. This excess gas cannot exist eliminated fast enough, and the beast can dice from the excess force per unit area on the internal organs. Its effect on reproductive efficiency is indirectly related to abortions or infertility resulting from affected animals. The written report by Majak et al. (1995) provides a summary of the pasture management strategies to reduce bloat:

1. Every cultivar of alfalfa tested acquired bloat.
2. Sainfoin, cicer milkvetch, and birdsfoot trefoil are legumes that did not cause bloat.
3. Advanced stages of maturity of the alfalfa institute will reduce the probability of bloat.
4. Cattle susceptible to bloat volition have a slower passage charge per unit in the rumen (assuasive more time for gas production) and these cattle would also consume 18-25% less fodder before bloating than non-bloaters.
5. Mineral supplementation did not reduce the incidence of bloat.
6. The only additive tested that would reduce bloat was poloxalene.
7. Seasonal weather weather condition, including a killing frost, did not influence the incidence of bloat.
8. Waiting until the dew was off alfalfa before grazing was substantiated as a method to reduce bloat.
9. Cattle that had continuous access to alfalfa had less bloat than those that had access for shorter periods of fourth dimension each mean solar day.

ii. Grass Tetany

Grass tetany is a serious problem in many livestock herds. It is characterized by depression claret serum levels of magnesium from a dramatic deficiency of this mineral in forages and pastures. Symptoms of grass tetany (wintertime tetany, grass staggers, magnesium tetany) usually first appear as extreme nervousness, an awkward gait, muscle spasms, and collapse. The symptoms may progress rapidly. Therefore, sometimes no clinical signs are observed and a cow may only be found dead. Other symptoms may include grinding the teeth, violent convulsions, and blackout. Cows suffering from grass tetany may ofttimes resemble those with cases of milk fever and have low calcium also as low serum magnesium levels. A positive diagnosis is difficult to obtain, just the status of the herd may be evaluated through blood samples. Serum magnesium levels below 1.0 mg/100mL would bespeak magnesium levels low enough to consequence in grass tetany.

Grass tetany tin occur at virtually whatsoever time of the year, only almost often volition occur in April and May in the Northeast. Other weather condition which are favorable to the incidence of grass tetany include:

• Warm temperatures in early on spring followed by cool, cloudy weather condition.
• It occurs more often in cows 6 years old or older nursing calves nether two months of age.
• Grass pastures which contain few or no legumes are the most likely to cause grass tetany.
• Soil types that have a high level and availability of potassium are related to increased cases of grass tetany.

Prevention

• Keep magnesium additions to mineral supplements available from May until October. Commercial mineral mixes that are high in magnesium are readily available. A mix tin be made at home, which likewise features a selenium supplement, with the following recipe (Wahlberg, 1995): 22.five% trace-mineralized salt, 22.5% dicalcium phosphate, ten% of a 0.06% selenium mix; 22.5% magnesium oxide, and 22.five% ground corn. Cattle should swallow well-nigh i-4th of a pound of the mixture daily.
• Expect until early on jump grass growth reaches eight-ten in. before grazing.
• Graze grass-legume pastures kickoff in the spring. Cases of grass tetany are seldom seen when legumes are included in pastures.
• Graze heifers, stockers, and dry cows on high-chance pastures
• Identify cows that endure from grass tetany as they tend to be more than susceptible in post-obit years

Treatment

Cows that suffer from grass tetany and become down for more than 12 hours seldom recover. Those in more early on stages should be handled gently and quietly. Stress and exertion will oft crusade infected animals to get down or dice suddenly.

An emergency treatment includes preparing 200mL of a saturated solution of epsom salts. This solution should be injected nether the skin of the animal in at least multiple sites with 10 mL injected at each site. A veterinarian should be consulted to provide intravenous magnesium supplements.

3. Prussic acid poisoning

Most plants incorporate intact glucosides, but, under certain conditions of climate, fertility, stage of growth, or retarded growth, a buildup of cyanide-containing compounds tin can outcome. This is specially true for sorghum, sudangrass, and their hybrids. The resulting compound in the leaves of the plant is referred to equally prussic acid. Some of the conditions that result in high levels of prussic acrid in the plant include:

• a high nitrogen to phosphate ratio in the soil
• the upper, younger leaves of the plant, or regrowth.
• newly-frosted leaves of the plant extended drought preventing leaf maturity and growth regrowth of the plant following a frost

Grazing direction is the key to fugitive prussic acid poisoning in grazing cattle. Vough and Cassel (1988) have outlined some management steps to avoid prussic acid poisoning:

• use certified seed
• select varieties low in prussic acid
• follow fertilizer application recommendations
• practise non begin grazing until plants have reached a height of eighteen to twenty inches
• allow frosted sudangrass to thoroughly dry before pasturing
• dilute intake of infected textile with hay and other forages

4. Hardware Disease

Foreign objects that cattle may ingest (wire, nails, pins, screws, bolts, or glass) collect in the reticulum. The objects may puncture the wall of the reticulum, which can crusade infection or damage to surrounding organs, especially the heart. Symptoms of hardware illness include loss of ambition, no cud chewing, swelling of the neck and brisket, and stiffness. The objects will commonly have to be removed surgically. In some cases a magnet placed in the stomach may be used to remove metal objects (Gillespie, 1997).

5. White Muscle Disease

Deficiency of selenium in the soil tin result in animate being deficiency of this mineral. This problem may manifest itself as white muscle disease in young calves and reduced immune response in older cattle. Muscle damage results from lack of selenium. Calves are born weak or dead. Selenium injections for newborn calves and mineral supplementation for cows volition prevent white muscle illness. A mineral mixture with an average daily intake of one fourth of a pound per day should contain 0.08% selenium to provide the recommended 0.ii ppm selenium daily. Intake of selenium at 5-10 times the recommended levels can event in toxicity.

6. Human foot Rot

The report past Hudson (1982) provides an excellent summary of the causes and prevention of pes rot. Foot rot can become "seeded" in the soil, and it may persist for a long time. The incidence of human foot rot may exist variable in a given herd. The bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum has been reported to cause foot rot. However, researchers accept non been able to reproduce typical foot rot lesions with this organism. Other organisms usually isolated from animals with human foot rot include streptococci, staphylococci, corynebacterium, and diverse fungi, all of which are common in the environs, especially where moisture is present. Cuts, bruises, puncture wounds, or astringent abrasions permit these bacteria to enter the tissue of the pes to starting time an infection. The disability to cause pes rot in clinical trials has hampered the ability to recommend precise prevention and treatment procedures.

Symptoms include lameness which is followed by swelling of the pes, spreading of the toes and reddening of the tissue above the hoof. In astringent cases, the foot will abscess in a higher place the hoof with a discharge that has a feature foul odor. The animate being usually has an elevated temperature with loss of appetite and body weight. If the infection is non stopped, it will invade the deeper tissues of the foot and may invade i or more than joints, causing chronic arthritis.

Prevention

Management practices that help reduce hoof damage or avoid bruising volition help decrease the incidence of foot rot. They include:

• Keep the hooves of heavy cows and bulls trimmed to assistance reduce stress on the soft tissue of the pes.
• Maintain drainage of lots and around water tanks to prevent mud accumulation, especially when the mud freezes and causes the anxiety to be bruised.
• Walk-through human foot baths in dairy operations have been used to assist prevent foot rot. Copper sulfate (dissolve 2 pounds in v gallons of h2o) or formalin (1 gallon of 40% formalin in nine gallons of h2o) tin be placed in the door or alleyway where the cattle walk coming into the befouled.
• Ethylene diamine dihydriodide (EDDI, tamed iodine) mixed in the feed or salt to provide 50 milligrams per head per twenty-four hours has been used as a preventative measure. However, feeding EDDI has not been a very satisfactory control for foot rot. Over-consumption of the chemical can crusade irritation of the respiratory tract.
• Be certain that all cattle receive acceptable calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A for good bone and tissue wellness.

Handling

Early treatment is necessary to prevent animals from becoming chronics. Examine the anxiety of lame animals for strange objects such as wires, nails, etc., and care for every bit soon as possible. Antibiotic treatments are ordinarily successful, and consult a veterinarian for the advisable drug, delivery method, and prognosis. Penicillin, or the oxytetracyclines (terramycin, liquamycin, and oxy-tet) normally work well if given at the recommended dosage and handling is started early. Sulfonamides (sulfapyridine, sulfamethazine, or triple sulfas) have been used successfully. Feed additives containing chlortetracycline (aureomycin) or a combination of chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine tin can exist used for treatment on a herd basis. To be effective, the minimum dose for calves should exist at least 1 gram of chlortetracycline per animal per mean solar day. Increase the amount of antibiotic for larger animals. Lower dosages may contribute to the production of drug-resistant organisms. When foot rot fails to respond to medication, thoroughly bank check the pes for foreign objects.

References cited

Hudson, D. 1982. Foot Rot. In Beef Infobase, Version 1.ane. Adds Center, Inc., Madison,WI.

Majak, W., J. Westward. Hall, and Due west. P. McCaughey. 1995. Pasture direction strategies for reducing the risk of legume bloat in cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 73:1493.

Vough, Fifty. R. and E. Grand. Cassel. 1988. Prussic acid poisoning in livestock. Fact Sheet No. 427. University of Maryland, Higher Park.

Beef Column, Dr. John Comerford, Penn State Extension Beefiness Specialist, March, 2011

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Source: https://extension.psu.edu/common-diseases-of-grazing-beef-cattle

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