Founder on grass clippings?

[HomerBinNC]

Can a cow founder on grass clippings from my yard, I have a 5½ year old cow to come down with bad feet. She limps a little and moves around very slow, she is not due to have her calf until February.

Thanks!

 

[MikeC]

Can a cow founder on grass clippings from my yard, I have a 5½ year old cow to come down with bad feet. She limps a little and moves around very slow, she is not due to have her calf until February.

Thanks!

It is possible for a cow to founder on forage. Is it in the rear feet?

 

[HomerBinNC]

Yes, it is the rear feet.
Thanks,

 

[MikeC]

Yes, it is the rear feet.
Thanks,

Then it is most likely founder. Don't give her such large amounts in the future.

There are some things you can give her but some damage has already been done. I would just cut the feed back now.

 

[ctlbaron]

Don't make sense to me. Must be something else, unless she was starving in the first place.

 

[HomerBinNC]

No, see wasn't starving, they have plenty of grass in the pasture and she is in good condition. I have 12 cows, some with calves, and they share about an acres worth of clippings.

Thanks,

 

[redfornow]

The others can correct me if I am wrong but I dont think its possible to founder a cow on an acre much less 12 head.

I feed clipings all the time, and as long as you break it up between feedings (dont dup a truck bed full at once) an feed a few head at a time, you should be fine.

What I do is give 5 or 6 head at a time about 60 pounds or so.
Make them finish and walk to get a drink, while I am doing this I feed the next paddock, an so on till the clippings are gone.

Never had a problem, around here its been so dry its been good to have something, as at times I have fed hay this summer. (most of the farmers are leaving out a little free choice hay right now, around here)

If I am wrong guys correct me its just the way I have done it and never had a problem in 3 plus years. But I could just be lucky.

MD

 

[Susie David]

We feed out clippings also and have had no problems but then they only get a meal of the sweet grass clippings every couple of weeks..

 

[ollie]

I had a heifer that was pretty slick at KC several years ago. We had all the other cattle tied out and was clipping on her. It was back when the ffa convention was still in KC. Some FFA kid asked me what we fed them to get them so fat. I told him yard clippings but not to tell anyone.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have had a lot stocker cattle come up lame right after turning them out on spring pasture. Most have root rot so I started to feed more iodine. That seemed to help.

I bought a fleshy Angus that "floundered" at turnout last spring. I did not believe that cattle could do that on grass and clover, but the vacation fill in vet said yes they could. I asked the regular vet when he got back - - he said it takes time to flounder and it was most likely a "pre exisiting condition" that just showed up then. Either way the Angus never recovered his hind feet so we ate him...

I had two cronic limpers this spring - one with both front feet and one with one front foot. Could not find any infection or punchures. Ended up penning them and giving them Banomine (sp) injections. That did straighten them out.

Any experience floundering on pasture? How much time does it take for for them to show up lame?