How much extra grain would it take for a steer to bloat??

[poultryrancher]

Hi,
This is my first year in Steer 4-H and I got my steer a few weeks ago. Everything was going well--the steer is gentling down slowly but surely, and I was slowly increasing his grain consumation to three coffee cans full, like my 4-H leader taught me-- then tonight, my younger brother decided he would "be nice" and feed T-Bone (the steer) two scoops of grain. He never told me, and saw me go outside a couple hours later to give T-Bone his regular dinner--two and a half coffee cans full of grain and a leaf of timothy hay. Only twenty-five minutesafter I fed him did my brother decide to tell me he "fed my cow". I am so frustrated and angry--he is 14 years old--he should know better . I am also scared--what if my steer (who I just payed $850 for) bloats and dies!? So my question is how much more grain than their used to can bloat them? He *normally* gets 2 1/2 scoops in the morning and 2 1/2 at night-- so a total of 5 scoops. Today, after his two scoop extra dinner, he has had a total of 7 SCOOPS. WILL THAT BLOAT HIM?? I'M SO SCARED I'M GONNA LOSE MY STEER!!:hit :cry2:

 

[msscamp]

Hi,
This is my first year in Steer 4-H and I got my steer a few weeks ago. Everything was going well--the steer is gentling down slowly but surely, and I was slowly increasing his grain consumation to three coffee cans full, like my 4-H leader taught me-- then tonight, my younger brother decided he would "be nice" and feed T-Bone (the steer) two scoops of grain. He never told me, and saw me go outside a couple hours later to give T-Bone his regular dinner--two and a half coffee cans full of grain and a leaf of timothy hay. Only twenty-five minutesafter I fed him did my brother decide to tell me he "fed my cow". I am so frustrated and angry--he is 14 years old--he should know better .

Why should he know better? You're new to cattle, are you saying your brother isn't? Other than the fact that is your steer and you're scared he will bloat and die, why do you expect your younger brother to know better? Take a breath and calm down.

I am also scared--what if my steer (who I just payed $850 for) bloats and dies!? So my question is how much more grain than their used to can bloat them? He *normally* gets 2 1/2 scoops in the morning and 2 1/2 at night-- so a total of 5 scoops. Today, after his two scoop extra dinner, he has had a total of 7 SCOOPS. WILL THAT BLOAT HIM?? I'M SO SCARED I'M GONNA LOSE MY STEER!!:hit :cry2:

How much does one scoop hold? Are you measuring the grain you're feeding your steer? If not, I would strongly recommend you start. An animal can safely be fed 1-2% of their bodyweight. You don't mention how much your steer weighs, and I'm not familiar with the prices charged for 4-H animals so it's hard for me to make an estimate as to his weight. A little more information is needed to answer your question. Bloat tends to manifest on the left side - the abdomen will become distended and hard, the animal will go off feed, and he will usually not chew his cud. Watch him, and if his left side looks distended, run him around the corral a half dozen or so time - a lot of times that will help to break up the bubbles so he can either burp them up or pass them. If not, do you have any therabloat on hand? If you do, tube him according to the directions. If you don't have therabloat on hand, tube him with a mixture of a quart or so of mineral oil, a handful of detergent (as in Tide) or a cup or so of dishwashing liquid, and a little baking soda - about a handfull, maybe a handfull and a half. The mineral oil will help to move the grain through him, the detergent/dishwashing liquid will reduce the tension on the bloat bubbles so they will break up, and the baking soda will help to neutralize the acidity in his rumen. After you've dealt with any bloat issues, have a calm, non-accusatory talk with your brother and explain that, while you appreciate his efforts to help, extra grain for your steer is not a good idea because it can cause bloat and kill him. Keep it calm, keep it low key, and understand that he probably did not know what he was doing could cause some major problems. ;-)

 

[poultryrancher]

My steer weighs aproximetly 800 LBS. I also forgot to mention he has a bloat block.

 

[milkmaid]

Don't think I've had a critter BLOAT after being given too much GRAIN... letting them gorge on leafy alfalfa will do it... but ACIDOSIS is a concern if an animal eats an excessive amount of grain.

Kinda unlikely 2 extra scoops would cause a big problem for an 800lb steer unless he's already on full feed (they can be pretty sensitive to changes at that point).

Coffee can - in most cases - holds approx 3lbs, so he's at about 15lbs/day... getting close to 2% of his body weight. Should still be okay though.

I agree with msscamp's comments about your brother -- just because he's 14 doesn't mean he ought to know better. No one "knows better" until they've been taught, especially when it comes to livestock. (And for that matter, even when they've been taught, teenagers still make mistakes.) Be the more mature one in this situation, explain why the steer can only eat a certain amount, and be NICE! at some point you may find yourself in the other chair, where you've messed up something of his by accident, and you'll want him to treat you nicely.

 

[milkmaid]

Bloat tends to manifest on the left side - the abdomen will become distended and hard, the animal will go off feed, and he will usually not chew his cud.

A little bit of gas on the left side isn't a big deal -- that's where the rumen is located and can simply be a sign of just having eaten and having a full rumen -- but if the right side begins to look distended, then you've got a problem, and it needs to be fixed fast.

 

[bigbull338]

an 800lb steer should be eating 16lbs of feed anyway.what your lil bro did was wrong but it didnt hurt your steer.you need to work with your lil bro an tach him the right way to feed.