RAgwort poisioning

[Anonymous]

Currently in the process of making round bale silage .
My meadows have quite a bit of small short ragwort complete with flowers and seeds about 12 inches high. Will this adversely affect my cattle when fed as main diet. Have read up on the net but am a little confused. Does anyone have any experience in this field. Is there any treatment one can administer to the animals before feeding ?
Also many of my heifers are repeating after AI any tips please

 

[Anonymous]

There are several different types of ragwort. Some are not harmful some are very harmful. Take a plant to your county weed board or conservation district for a positive identification. If you have tansy ragwort, which is common in my area, it will kill the cows. Not quickly but over time. It affects the liver. They wont eat it green if there is anything else to eat but dried in hay they readily eat it and it slowly takes their liver out. There is no treatment for the cows. It just has to be eradicated from the field.

Dave

 

[dun]

many of my heifers are repeating after AI any tips please

Review your heat detection and insemination timing. Are they, or were they cycling regularly, i.e. a consistant number of days between heats? Is the semen from one of the large studs or a smaller outfit that may not be CSS ceritified? Does the technician feel confident that he/she is depositing the semen in the correct spot? Has the semen been stored properly and thawed correctly?
Were they nervous and stirred up when they were bred, over heated? Have you had an exceptional heat spell around 13-15 days after breeding, that can prevent implantation.
Those a pretty much the things to look at

dun

 

[bwranch]

Have you had an exceptional heat spell around 13-15 days after breeding, that can prevent implantation.
Those a pretty much the things to look at

dun

Great. We AI'd 11 days ago and we just hit heat index of 110-112 yesterday, today and tomorrow! Oh well. Seriously Dun, is there any reason for the heat spell effect or is that experience? Thanks.

 

[dun]

Have you had an exceptional heat spell around 13-15 days after breeding, that can prevent implantation.
Those a pretty much the things to look at

dun

Great. We AI'd 11 days ago and we just hit heat index of 110-112 yesterday, today and tomorrow! Oh well. Seriously Dun, is there any reason for the heat spell effect or is that experience? Thanks.

The embryo implants at around 14 days, if conditions like heat keeps it from implanting it's as if she never conceived. That's probably too the time frame that the embryo is most most sensitive to significant changes. Many times what will happen is they will miss a heat then come back in. That's almost a gaurantee of a sloughed embryo. It started to implant but didn't do it succesfully. but it's far enough along that the corpus luteum is still active and prevents them from coming back into heat. I had noticed the heat deal in the past but just last week I discussed it with the vet because we had several ladies all bred the same day that all came back in after missing a heat.

dun