Plastic ties on bales of hay

[The Rogue]

My question is, Being relatively new at this last year we used rolled silage and I am sure at some point the plastic netting was left on and the cows ate it. What happens if they ingest some of the plastic netting or some of the plastic ties on a bale of hay? I'm sure at some point they have gotten some of it or will get some of it, will they be able to pass it? Naturally I try to remove all of it so they won't get any, but sometimes I don't get all. Does the enzymes in their body absorb or break it down?

 

[Scotty]

Body will not break it down. It can cause hardware disease and decrease the capasity of the rumen. It will also interfear with the function of the rumen. Watch for cows that become poor and have them check by a vet. This is not as bad as them eating metal but still many problems can occure. I woulder if they can remove it by surgery. Many universities do research were they remove contents of the rumen . Perhaps a vet could do this. Would probly be pricy so not an option around here.

 

[dun]

In very samll amoountsthye can pass it, larger quantities they can't. A couple of months ago we butchred a Holstein 2 year old heifer that wouldn;t breed. She had only been in one area that had a problem with walmart plastic bags blowing in, that was from 6 months to a year. She had 3 walmart bags in her belly. torn up a little, but still mostly intact. The sacks weren;t why she didn;t breed but it may have been why she never looked ver ythrifty

dun

 

[jnowack]

Some of the new plastic twine is supposed to be biodegradable. I have thought about trying it but was curious how quick it would break down....don't like to have strings wrapped around the beaters on the manure spreader.

 

[dun]

.don't like to have strings wrapped around the beaters on the manure spreader.

When e bought this farm, previously a dairy, there was a huge manure pile by the parlor. Huge as in 75x75 feet and 30 foot high. My manure spreader is really gayly decorated with multiple colors and sizes of chunks of baler twine.

dun

 

[ChrisB]

Dun,

I found a good way to remove the plastic twine from the spreader beater is to use a torch, much easier than cutting it off.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Dun,

I found a good way to remove the plastic twine from the spreader beater is to use a torch, much easier than cutting it off.

Thanks Man!!

One of those, why didn't I think of thats. :lol:

Seems no matter how hard ya try, that stuff gets in the feeder or yard.

 

[Victoria]

Dun,

I found a good way to remove the plastic twine from the spreader beater is to use a torch, much easier than cutting it off.

That is truly brilliant! I DESPISE cutting that twine off...

 

[Roadapple]

If you have a wood floor be careful you don't burn it by hot plastic dropping in dry manure. Know a guy that did it. Walked off and later went back to haul manure, no floor.

 

[badger]

i use a hand held electric grinder and/or a hacksaw much safer than a torch

 

[Susie David]

We find all sorts of things in rumens. Twine is common though we haven't had large balls in any or our cows.
Our butcher said that he once found a old softball in a Sim steer that was slaughtered because he was loosing instead of gaining...go figure.
Tomorrow I'll see if we can recover any of the spark plug wires
that were chewed last spring....just curious.
DMc

 

[The Rogue]

wow! this has turned out to be a very interesting topic, when I worked for Armour at a meat plant,we would find magnets in the first stomach and at times large hair balls.At times there was wire stuck to the magnet. Never did find any plastic wrap etc. The magnets were in Holsteins.I don't belive any were in Beef cattle.

 

[cypressfarms]

Aside from the obvious ingestion of the plastic twine, I've had other bad experiences:

Last winter we had some hay that a local guy baled for us with plastic twine. I put a bale out, and pulled as much of it off as I could see. About an hour later, when I went back to check on the cows, I had a cow with gobs of the twine wrapped around her neck! She, ofcourse, freaked out and went running around causing the twine to tighten around her. There was nothing I could do. She went down finally, and I jumped in cutting it off.

Also had another do the same thing but she stepped on the twine and pulled it off.

I'll never put another bale with plastic twine out.

 

[andybob]

In 1982 we had a plague of caterpillars, later when they had spun cocoons, the browsing cattle were eating them with the Acacia pods. The cocoons unraveled in the rumen, and led to many cattle having to be slaughtered,my in-laws had two registered heifers operated on to remove the silk, I believe they still have photo's of the operations.
The things found in the reticulum are amazing. When studying meat technology, our chief lecturer Dr H Thornton, had slides of coins, surgical forceps, a pocket knife and an amazing array of objects ingested by the cattle!

 

[Linda]

About 15 years ago we were given a cow for slaughter by a farmer friend. He always puts his round bales out with the twine intact, and has a huge twine pile in his pasture. When that cow was butchered on the farm, she had a twine ball in her about the size of a basketball. No wonder all the grain I had been feeding her didn't take!

 

[Victoria]

We used to have a cow that loved to eat twine. I'd pull it off the bale and throw it in the back of the truck (flatbed) and go get the next bale. Instead of eating hay she'd be trying to get the twine out of the truck. Guess she thought if I wanted it then it must be the best part. :shock: She'd try to pull it off the bale too. Always tried to stop her but I am sure she managed to eat some over the years.