Bloated calves at grass

dungfly

I have a few bloated 8 month old calves at grass. All in great condition. What bugs/issues cause this and what can I do prevent this?

"Penicillin is an excellent antibiotic for any type of clostridial disease"

http://www.westerncowman.com/february2012/toxic_gut.html

jersey101

dungfly wrote: »

I have a few bloated 8 month old calves at grass. All in great condition. What bugs/issues cause this and what can I do prevent this?

"Penicillin is an excellent antibiotic for any type of clostridial disease"

http://www.westerncowman.com/february2012/toxic_gut.html

have you much clover in the grass there on? Ye can get bloat oil to put in the water. Give them one a go of vegtable oil and they'll come down

dungfly

jersey101 wrote: »

have you much clover in the grass there on? Ye can get bloat oil to put in the water. Give them one a go of vegtable oil and they'll come down

How much vegetable oil do you give them and how often? I have read vegetable oil is an anti foaming agent that reduces the surface tension of foam in the rumen. From what i read vegetable 250 to 500 mls. I was using strip grazing on newly reseeded ground which has no clover. Apparently lush grass is high in protein and low in fibre leading to bloat.

bbam

Throw them some hay and it will sort it out. We'd bring them in overnight or two nights with hay and water. But I know people who just throw an armful out and say it's just as good.

nashmach

If you are feeding them add some bread soda to the meal.

dungfly

nashmach wrote: »

If you are feeding them add some bread soda to the meal.

Nice one. You learn something every day. How much bread soda do you give per calf

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm122

1chippy

seaweed meal is supposed to help.

nashmach

dungfly wrote: »

Nice one. You learn something every day. How much bread soda do you give per calf

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm122

Not sure on exact rate but a bare shake should be enough, they may find it a little difficult at first.
Another option is to actually dose them with breadsoda and water.

Rho b

A heaped tablespoon on bread soda in 500mls of water down the hatch. Although as another poster asked how much clover is in the grass - too much tends to lead to bloat.
Another poster suggested give them a bit of hay - that is what I would do, or straw. They need roughage this time of year while out on watery grass.

dungfly

Ill try hay first and then bread soda if i still need an effect