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<blockquote data-quote="msscamp" data-source="post: 144817" data-attributes="member: 539"><p>Over eating of grain (and probably other things as well) can absolutely kill a calf - or a cow, bull, any bovine animal. Cattle are ruminent's, that means they actually have 4 different compartments in their stomachs to keep it simple. When they eat, the food goes to the rumen. Eventually they will get enough, lay down, regurgitate that rough-chewed food and 'chew their cud'. They are actually chewing the food ingested earler in order to ready it for actual digestion (and it serves as a thumbs up that all is well with the animal). It then goes to a different compartment in their stomachs. (I know I don't have all the technical terms right, but it will give you an idea of how their digestion system works). As with all ruminents, bacteria is necessary for digestion to work properly. When an animal is suddenly started on grain he/she does not have the bacteria necessary to digest a previously unfed food (usually grain). That's why it's important to start them off at small quantities (1-2% of their total body weight) and build up gradually. If one does not do this, acidosis is the result. Acidosis is a condition when the ph levels of the body are screwed up and the fluids in the body become very acidic and it can and will kill an animal. The same thing can happen if an animal is used to grain and the grain is suddenly stopped. Does that help? I'm also including a link that explains acidosis in more depth. </p><p></p><p><a href="http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/animaldisease/g1047.htm" target="_blank">http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/animaldisease/g1047.htm</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="msscamp, post: 144817, member: 539"] Over eating of grain (and probably other things as well) can absolutely kill a calf - or a cow, bull, any bovine animal. Cattle are ruminent's, that means they actually have 4 different compartments in their stomachs to keep it simple. When they eat, the food goes to the rumen. Eventually they will get enough, lay down, regurgitate that rough-chewed food and 'chew their cud'. They are actually chewing the food ingested earler in order to ready it for actual digestion (and it serves as a thumbs up that all is well with the animal). It then goes to a different compartment in their stomachs. (I know I don't have all the technical terms right, but it will give you an idea of how their digestion system works). As with all ruminents, bacteria is necessary for digestion to work properly. When an animal is suddenly started on grain he/she does not have the bacteria necessary to digest a previously unfed food (usually grain). That's why it's important to start them off at small quantities (1-2% of their total body weight) and build up gradually. If one does not do this, acidosis is the result. Acidosis is a condition when the ph levels of the body are screwed up and the fluids in the body become very acidic and it can and will kill an animal. The same thing can happen if an animal is used to grain and the grain is suddenly stopped. Does that help? I'm also including a link that explains acidosis in more depth. [url=http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/animaldisease/g1047.htm]http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/animaldisease/g1047.htm[/url] [/QUOTE]
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