eating bale twine

[angus9259]

Someone on this board mentioned some internal complications a cow can get from ingesting bale twine . . . maybe symtoms similar to eating a plastic grocery sack? I forget. I was cutting bale twine on one side of a round bale today - went around to the other side of the bale to pull it off and saw a cow eating it as fast as I was cutting it off. Is it always a problem or should I just watch for symptoms of issues? What should I look for if it hangs up down there?

 

[hillsdown]

Chances are you don't have to worry but if she goes off feed does not chew her cud, is bloated, I would be worried.

 

[Victoria]

We had one cow Blue 73 was her name that LOVED twine. You'd throw it on the flat bed and she would grab it and gulp it down faster than you could get it back. She did her best to eat as much as she could and lived to old age. A pack of dogs got her, not any intestinal issues. She was an odd duck.
Of course, you should try to make sure they don't eat it and get all of it fof the bale but don't lose sleep over it, as hillsdown said, look for her being off feed etc.

 

[grannysoo]

Shouldn't be a problem. Cows eat all kind of things...

 

[Aaron]

The neighbour has lost cows for years, always in the winter and always due to gastrointestinal difficulties. He also doesn't take the sisal twine off his bales either. Put two and two together. :cowboy:

 

[angus9259]

The neighbour has lost cows for years, always in the winter and always due to gastrointestinal difficulties. He also doesn't take the sisal twine off his bales either. Put two and two together. :cowboy:

He feeds bad hay???

Seriously, I've never lost one and this is the first year I've taken twine off . . . got tired of losing ear tags but I've never actually seen one eating the twine either.

 

[Cowdirt]

In the 17 yrs. that I've had cows, I've never removed sisal twine. Had no problem that I can attribute to twine eating. My brother has fed a large herd hay with sisal twine intact for over 40 yrs. with no known problems. I don't like the idea of cows eating plastic twine but can't speak factually one way or the other.

 

[dun]

An articvle on the subject
http://beefmagazine.com/grains/1218-twi ... index.html

 

[grannysoo]

Thanks dun. For someone that doesn't know anything about cattle, you sure do know a lot... :tiphat:

 

[dun]

Thanks dun. For someone that doesn't know anything about cattle, you sure do know a lot... :tiphat:

Everything I know I learned off the internet......................

 

[hillsdown]

Thanks Dun, I was looking for an article before and couldn't find one just for cattle..

Twine in ground hay may be less of a problem since more of it is likely to pass completely through the animal.

Now I have to say this is a falsity ,and know from experience. When we finally got to go away for a week at the dairy we had someone help out with our herdsman to limit the load. He was allowed to feed (which was not approved by us) and did not remove any twine before putting it into the feed mixer., The result was BAD two days after we got back we had to have the vet out as a couple of cows were going down fast ,,we did all we could to save them and then end result (after PM) was a total impaction from TWINE.. I can't remember what we did after that for the whole herd ,that was Mr. HD's responsibility as I had my hands full with sick babies that were completely neglected..So much more but not related to the thread...Now I don't go anywhere, hey at least I know what the h@ll is going on.. :lol2:

Sometimes you miss a strand, especially if it is the starter strand ,but do your best to get them all; most importantly if you have little ones eating them, as it does not take long to kill one with a chunk of twine..

 

[hillsdown]

Thanks dun. For someone that doesn't know anything about cattle, you sure do know a lot... :tiphat:

Everything I know I learned off the internet......................

Ya but the last I heard you actually have/had cows and are not posting in your underwear in your parents garage.. :lol2: :banana:

Well the underwear apart I am not so sure of..

 

[dun]

Thanks dun. For someone that doesn't know anything about cattle, you sure do know a lot... :tiphat:

Everything I know I learned off the internet......................

Ya but the last I heard you actually have/had cows and are not posting in your underwear in your parents garage.. :lol2: :banana:

Well the underwear apart I am not so sure of..

Why would I want to dress so formally?

 

[grannysoo]

Thanks dun. For someone that doesn't know anything about cattle, you sure do know a lot... :tiphat:

Everything I know I learned off the internet......................

I knew it! All hat - no cattle.

 

[4CTophand]

The neighbour has lost cows for years, always in the winter and always due to gastrointestinal difficulties. He also doesn't take the sisal twine off his bales either. Put two and two together. :cowboy:

Just a little info for you >>>>–noun 1. Also called sisal hemp. a fiber yielded by an agave, Agave sisalana, of Yucatán, used for making rope, rugs, etc.
2. the plant itself.
Ummm it from a plant>>>> and cows can digest all kinds of plants-- right? So that Myth is solved. you can thank me Later Aaron.

I wouldn't want my cows eating Poly twine and they never have, but ya know they make bale wrap these days that works quite well and can be removed faster than your polytwine. Just a thought

 

[novatech]

If mine find it some will chew it like cud. I find wads of it in the pasture where the have spet it out. The guy that had one of my pastures before never picked up any.
Don't know if it will hurt a cow but plays havoc on bearings on the shredder or any others it finds it's way into.

 

[BeefmasterB]

If mine find it some will chew it like cud. I find wads of it in the pasture where the have spet it out. The guy that had one of my pastures before never picked up any.
Don't know if it will hurt a cow but plays havoc on bearings on the shredder or any others it finds it's way into.

"spet"??????????????????????????

 

[novatech]

If mine find it some will chew it like cud. I find wads of it in the pasture where the have spet it out. The guy that had one of my pastures before never picked up any.
Don't know if it will hurt a cow but plays havoc on bearings on the shredder or any others it finds it's way into.

"spet"??????????????????????????

OK, have it you way. The cow dropped it out of her mouth. I will save it for you so you can examine the spet. You know that stuff that runs down your chin when your chawen tobacco. Where you from anyway? Don,t you know nutten?

 

[BeefmasterB]

If mine find it some will chew it like cud. I find wads of it in the pasture where the have spet it out. The guy that had one of my pastures before never picked up any.
Don't know if it will hurt a cow but plays havoc on bearings on the shredder or any others it finds it's way into.

"spet"??????????????????????????

OK, have it you way. The cow dropped it out of her mouth. I will save it for you so you can examine the spet. You know that stuff that runs down your chin when your chawen tobacco. Where you from anyway? Don,t you know nutten?

O.k., put it in the outbox on your desk and I'll look at it tomorrow. Is there any carn mixed in it?

 

[novatech]

Is there any carn mixed in it?

Nope, but I do have some other stuff with carn mixed in it that I will send you. :lol2:
I'm done, going home.
Happy New Year Everyone