Bloat on Small Grains
Until last week, it had been a tough year for small grains, but with the recent rainfall, they are really going to start growing. I see some fields that will soon be ready for grazing and other fields that will not be far behind. It is hard to beat small grains for putting gain on calves or milk in cows. However, you should be wary of the potential for bloat on these good grain fields.
Bloat is a cattle ailment that can result from grazing excellent fast growing, lush winter pasture. Typically, we see bloat during the fall or spring flush when the grass is growing rapidly. The nutrients in this highquality forage are readably digestible, meaning they will be immediately utilized by the rumen microbes, which leads to a rapid production of gas in the rumen. The gases in this frothy bloat cannot be dispelled quickly enough by the animal. This leads to the classic bloat symptom of a distended abdomen (left side of animal). This build-up of gases causes discomfort and possibly death, if not treated. Cattle that recover from bloat are very likely to get bloat again when the conditions are right.
There are many options to aid in preventing bloat: Feed cattle plenty of dry hay before turning out on small grain pasture.
If possible, turn cattle for the first time at midday after grass has dried off. Both rate of intake and initial rate of digestion are higher for moist plants, causing more rapid digestion.
Use of a surfactant or anti-foaming agent in water or to any feed supplement.
Feeding poloxalene (Bloat Guard), in minerals, feed supplements, blocks etc… There is good evidence that the addition on Monensin (Rumensin), can aid in controlling bloat in stocker cattle and increase gain for those calves that are grazing small grains.
Treatment of bloat if caught early on can be as simple as removing the animal from pasture and feeding dry hay. For acute cases of bloat more immediate attention will be required to prevent death of the calf. Some tools to keep on hand when grazing small grain pastures include a good ¾ to 1” diameter rubber hose 3 to 4’ long, defoaming agent, and maybe a trocar or sharp knife. In most acute cases a stomach tube can relieve the bloat; if needed the animal can also be giving an antifoaming agent down the same tube. It is best not to use a drench gun on cattle with bloat, as they may aspirate the liquid into their lungs. A small piece of PVC pipe can be used to prevent the calf from biting down on the hose while tubing. If you have no experience in tubing cattle or using a Trocar, it would be best to get a veterinarian or an experienced cattleman to help you treat your cattle, until you learn how. You can do more harm than good if tube is misplaced or Trocar is not used properly.
Bloat is a very manageable issue than can be associated with grazing good winter pasture. Do not let the potential for bloat scare you away from an extremely valuable feedstuff. Cattle are at alltime highs and good gain from small grains can sure make you a lot of money. Certainly, there is no more satisfying or profitable way to put weight on calves than grazing on good small grains. Just be sure to spend a little extra time planning and managing for potential bloat.