Livestock owners need to be alert for hardware disease The Cooperative Extension Service, U of A System Division of Agriculture Drovers CattleNetwork April 29, 2014 Livestock owners need to scan their pastures for storm debris that could prove fatal to their cattle, goats and horses, said Tom Troxel, associate head, animal science, for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. After the storm has passed, the effects of tornadic winds and floods remain for grazing animals. Tornadoes and other storm events with strong winds and flooding can spread debris over a large area, said Tom Troxel, associate head-animal science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. This sets the stage for grazing animals to be affected by hardware disease. Cattle, sheep, goat and horse owners should take extra time and caution to inspect hay meadows and pastures for debris especially metal objects. Cattle grazing may not notice debris such as wood splinters, metal shards or construction items such as screws and nails, Troxel said. And sometimes, in fields that have old, rusting fences or bailing wire or where grazing occurs near construction foreign objects wind up bailed in hay. Items such as nails or wire snippets, go directly into the cows digestive tract. Contractions that move food along can cause nails and other items to puncture the walls of the digestive tract. Perforations can cause partially digested foods and bacteria to leak in to the abdominal cavity causing infections and scarring. Full text: tinyurl/m59jveu
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:26:29 +0000
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