Clover and Bloat

[Stocker Steve]

This spring I seeded down some crop land to grass and clover mixes for good grazing with out a big nitrogen bill. The red clover is very vigerous, and is dominating the forage during the first year.

I currently load my cattle up on dry hay and then turn them into the mostly clover pasture in the afternoon. The good doers still load up on the fresh forage and look really big with a "double bloat" by evening. When I observe them I can see and hear them "burp" every so often. When I recheck then the next morning they look pretty normal except for being a little loose.

Please Help with these Questions -

1) Am I taking a big chance here or is bloat not the problem some people make it out to be?

2) How long do cattle need to be on high legume grazing before their system is fully adjusted?

 

[SF]

Please Help with these Questions -

1) Am I taking a big chance here or is bloat not the problem some people make it out to be?

You're taking a chance, but clover is great feed

2) How long do cattle need to be on high legume grazing before their system is fully adjusted?

If they are on the legumes continuously, shouldn't be an issue. It is a great feed here in the early spring months.

 

[SF]

Please Help with these Questions -

1) Am I taking a big chance here or is bloat not the problem some people make it out to be?

You're taking a chance, but clover is great feed

2) How long do cattle need to be on high legume grazing before their system is fully adjusted?

If they are on the legumes continuously, shouldn't be an issue. It is a great feed here in the early spring up until early summer.

 

[dj]

That fresh clover does gasum right up huh. I'd want to ease them into it. And remember with cows on clover anywhere within 5 ft is in "range" of the fertilizer spreader. :lol:

 

[Ryder]

Agree with dj about easing them into it.
Have seen more than one go down on clover bloat.

Try to get them on poloxolene, marketed as bloat guard if I remember correctly.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have tried the bloat lick blocks but seem to get very uneven consumption. Is there a good bloat control product you can put into the water?

 

[dun]

We have seveal pastures that are predominantly red clover. The girls will show a very high fill/gas but there isn;t a problem. They graze through it and eat grass along with the clover. Bloat is only a problem if the eruction(sp) mechanism is impaired, i.e. they can;t burp.
Any time you have a free choice product like bloat blocks, protein supplemnts etc, you will have uneven consumption.

dun

 

[Big D]

I use surfactants in the water when I graze the cows on alfalfa. I prefer preferance or activator 90. I get these products from our local chemical dealer. I use about a cup to two cups per thousand gallons. Works really well unless you get a rain and the cows drink from ponds and puddles. Easing them on to the clover would help also.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Thanks for the tip. I will search for the surfactants.

How gradual is "easing them on" to clover?

 

[Big D]

Steve, I think filling them with dry hay like you do is great. If your going to have bloat it will happen within the first hour. I would turn them out for 30-45 minutes the first day. If nothing bloats go to an hour. If everything is going good, let'em have it, just keep an eye on them. I always turn my out and watch them for the first hour, if nothing is bloating by then I check them in another hour, so far so good.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Thanks for the timing tip. It seems like the steers are really filled and belching after two to three hours but then look pretty normal on the second day. I have read in some of the ag school publications that "bloat occurs most commonly on day two or three", but have not seen that.

Any idea on what conditions cause this day two or three problem?