grass tetany

blue5000

Anybody having problems? I lost a cow this morning with it, haven't had a case of it for over 10 years. Normally I don't do anything to prevent it either, but got caught out this time. What is best method for suckler cows, thinking of dusting the grass in front of the cows as I don't want to feed them meal? Putting it in the water makes it unpalatable but used to do it this way years ago. Any advice welcome.

whelan1

hi mag buckets... use them all the time, we get caught out when the buckets go empty

Richk2012

blue5000 wrote: »

Anybody having problems? I lost a cow this morning with it, haven't had a case of it for over 10 years. Normally I don't do anything to prevent it either, but got caught out this time. What is best method for suckler cows, thinking of dusting the grass in front of the cows as I don't want to feed them meal? Putting it in the water makes it unpalatable but used to do it this way years ago. Any advice welcome.

Only seen your post there about the cow . Sorry about that . Were just having one of those days .... Id agree with whelan , i use the hi-mag buckets , but i lay awake at night wondering are they all bothering to use it ???:rolleyes: What about Magnesium boluses ????

49801

we give a bolus on turn out and again 4weeks later. complete pain but works.

hard to know if cows most at risk use the bucket.

worth feeding a silage bale in tetany weather if your out of cover with the bolus

Bodacious

blue5000 wrote: »

Anybody having problems? I lost a cow this morning with it, haven't had a case of it for over 10 years. Normally I don't do anything to prevent it either, but got caught out this time. What is best method for suckler cows, thinking of dusting the grass in front of the cows as I don't want to feed them meal? Putting it in the water makes it unpalatable but used to do it this way years ago. Any advice welcome.

sorry about your cow blue.

I bolused mine bout 4 weeks ago but let off few heifers to grass today but I'll keep the meal/nuts with them just in case, do they say to throw in a square bale Of palatable hay daily is a safe option too if you can get them to eat it?

barryoc1

I should probably just google it but in relation to sucklers, which are most at risk at this time of the year, cows freshly calved or dry/nearly dry cows? While i am asking the questions, is there ever any risk to cattle?

Blue was your grass fertilised? Would i be right in thinking there is not as much of a risk if the grass isnt very fertilised and the cow is introduced to the grass slowly?

whelan1

if we loose any its after a cold night, dont think it makes any difference what amount of grass they have tbh, the bullets only last 4 weeks, if you continuously have buckets with them it works for us, touch wood... doesnt make any difference if they are fresh calved either, we have lost sucklers in october that have been calved months:mad:

49801

they do say that if you lay off the P and K that the risk is reduced sum what but i would think is never removed. Ps and Ks make the grass very strong and lush. March and April showers and stress's dont help much either.

feeding silage slows the rumin down so as the mag that is available has more of a chance to be absorped (thats my understanding anyways)

really the only solution is mineral supplementation weather its bolus, dusting, meals, water doseing, mineral buckets etc. each method has its advantages and disadvantages

whelan1

its strange as we dont put o's on the land the sucklers are on, it gets limited amounts of dung/slurry and they are on the same fields every year

Muckit

49801 wrote: »

worth feeding a silage bale in tetany weather if your out of cover with the bolus

Would they go near it if they were out on grass??

Muckit

whelan1 wrote: »

its strange as we dont put o's on the land

Please excuse my ignorance whelan1... what are o's ?

bogman_bass

Muckit wrote: »

Would they go near it if they were out on grass??

yes. They would be mad for a bit of fibre if they are on leafy new grass.

whelan1

Muckit wrote: »

Please excuse my ignorance whelan1... what are o's ?

p and k

49801

Muckit wrote: »

Would they go near it if they were out on grass??

bogman_bass wrote: »

yes. They would be mad for a bit of fibre if they are on leafy new grass.

yes they like silage even when on grass.

blue5000

Thnks for all the replies, ya it got about 20u N /acre about 3 weeks ago. I think it is just K that locks up the Mg not P. Old permanent pasture that was on first grazing this year, used to be on the second round that I'd get it or else an odd one in the autumn.

Gave the rest of them a grab of silage, Off to buy a few buckets now.

Ya it was cold alright the night before, and had a 5 week old calf on her.

Always the way, think it was my only icbf 5* star fcuking cow.:(

Alibaba

whelan1 wrote: »

hi mag buckets... use them all the time, we get caught out when the buckets go empty

I use the hi-mag buckets as well and find them good but does anybody have a good idea as to how to keep them in the field.

I put them into an old tyre but they sometimes pull the bucket out and turn it upside down.

leg wax

Alibaba wrote: »

I use the hi-mag buckets as well and find them good but does anybody have a good idea as to how to keep them in the field.

I put them into an old tyre but they sometimes pull the bucket out and turn it upside down.

get the big crystalx licks 80 kgs in it and a tub that is great afterwards.

island of tighe

a few lads around here have lost cows the last few days with tetney.my cows are on lush young grass.they are flying through buckets of hi mag.i brought them down a bale of hay monday morning,they had it gone the next day

my neighbour lost two cows last year with it he reckons using urea increases the risk so he has used can this year

whelan1

leg wax wrote: »

get the big crystalx licks 80 kgs in it and a tub that is great afterwards.

how do you handle them? for the smaller buckets saw a lad with a holder he made to hang on a gate, you sit the bucket in, or a beer keg with concrete in the bottom and the bucket sitting in the top( top of keg cut off)

Bodacious

whelan1 wrote: »

how do you handle them? for the smaller buckets saw a lad with a holder he made to hang on a gate, you sit the bucket in, or a beer keg with concrete in the bottom and the bucket sitting in the top( top of keg cut off)

Thats what i have too it keeps it up off of the ground too in case the badger takes a fancy to it