bloat on 1st cut hay

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angus9259

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I have some 2 year old 1st cutting hay I'm feeding out to my dry cows. I bought it - looks to be just some stemmy grass. Had a forage assay done on it and it didn't come back particularly special . . . like 1st cut grassy hay - good for dry cows. Kept it under tarps - not moldy. The thing is, the cows really seem to like it and they are definitely getting gassy bloat from it. What else can be in first cut hay that might cause bloat? There might be clover in it . . . which I know can cause bloat, but it didn't test out as particularly rich hay at all.
 
angus9259":1fouxyvv said:
I have some 2 year old 1st cutting hay I'm feeding out to my dry cows. I bought it - looks to be just some stemmy grass. Had a forage assay done on it and it didn't come back particularly special . . . like 1st cut grassy hay - good for dry cows. Kept it under tarps - not moldy. The thing is, the cows really seem to like it and they are definitely getting gassy bloat from it. What else can be in first cut hay that might cause bloat? There might be clover in it . . . which I know can cause bloat, but it didn't test out as particularly rich hay at all.
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Did you know you are one post away for 1000 posts? :D

Doubt the hay is causing bloat....what else is going on.
 
I always kinda considered myself a "guru" . . . it's good to be recognized :lol:

Honestly, I don't get it. Short stubby grass pasture coming back just a tick with the recent rain. Take hay away, deflate. Put hay out, inflate. Thought it might be just some kind of hay belly, but it's not. It's bloat. The weather is going up and down quite a bit, but I have wet cows in the pasture right next to them w/o bloat - but no hay since they're nursing I put them on the better pasture that doesn't need hay. Weird. Seems like a "guru" such as myself could figure this out. :dunce:
 
TexasBred":37w8oobt said:
Is the hay all they're getting?
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Hay, short green grass in the field - same field they've been on. They don't seem interested in the grass though. They love the hay feeder right now. Mineral tub.
 
angus9259":1kvmiiwc said:
TexasBred":1kvmiiwc said:
Is the hay all they're getting?
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Hay, short green grass in the field - same field they've been on. They don't seem interested in the grass though. They love the hay feeder right now. Mineral tub.
Click to expand...
hmmm....there's something in that "average hay" that they apparently love and it's the culprit.
 
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yup. did another "hay in hay out" experiment and the bloating subsided. put another bale of 1st cut from a different supplier out and they won't touch it for the pasture that's in front of them - unlike the other hay they ran across the pasture to get. weird. had another hay supplier look at it (not the guy who sold it to me). said "looks like grass hay - and not very good grass at that". what could it be? will red clover in a first cut grass mix do that? there's a lot of clover in my fields though which never seems to be a problem.
 
Wondering what kind of toxins might cause bloat characteristics? I've done a little looking but haven't come up with anything yet. Maybe take a sample to be tested for toxic weeds or toxins in general. To me, the bloat is obviously a side effect of something else other than the average everyday hay.
 
my beef nutritionist is coming next week to sample. I'll find out if they can check for toxic plants. whatever it is, they sure love eating it.
 

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