chronic bloater

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angus9259

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Anyone had any luck turning around a chronic bloater? 6 mo heifer. She does fine on feed as long as she's got something stalky to chase it down with - it's the grass coming up that's getting her (not alfalfa, just green grass). Problem is - I can't take her to the salebarn - don't want anyone else getting my problem. She's too young to slaughter unless I mix her with something else. I'll probably just end up fattening her out myself but I don't really do that so she'd be the only one in the pen - extra work. Will her stomach just sorta line up with time or should I just start fattening now?
 
I would think if she's having issues now, she will have them later as well. One day she'll be tipped over and your out completely. I'd butcher her and fill the freezer with hamburger.
 
You can buy a "top dress" product called "Bloat Guard" that will prevent her from bloating. You don't need to feed her a bunch, just a handful so the product is palatable. I've had very good luck with the product, especially with cattle that are on feed, and tend to bloat.
 
There is a block you can put out that prevents bloat. Don;t recall the name, we alwasy just called it "bloat block"
But if it is a systemic problem the bloat block won;t do anythign but cost you money and lull you into a false sense of security.
In the Mojave we went through a period of repetitious chronic bloat. Turned out it was arsenic poisoning from the dry lake bed dust blowing to us.
 

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