Bloat!! It's Bad!!

So, one day we went out to the corrals and the cows were off their food (very rare). They all looked very full, too full.

We'd given them a 700 lb. bale of 100% alfalfa. We knew you never let cows graze green alfalfa, but these bales were dry....Well sort of.

I can't really go into the (gross) details, but resolving the issue wasn't pretty. Though, it was amazing because most of the animals affected calmed down so I could put stitches in after the (harpoon, and off-gas).

You see, cows, contrary to popular belief, can't really "Phart", so gas builds up inside them if they eat the wrong food, or the wrong food at the wrong time. Wet alfalfa, is the wrong food at the wrong time.

And it wasn't that wet really, because we had 10 tons of it stored inside our garage (not the barn). Damn near burned the house down, and almost got bit by a rattlesnake baled up in the stuff, but I was more worried about the cows!

Bloat is a bitch, it's not pleasant and it's not comfortable for anyone.

Just thought I'd share.

This is so confusing to me. Did you have to stab them to let the gas out and then stitch them up?!

We have to be really careful, with our goats.

Too much grain can give them bloat, and it is often fatal.

I'm guessing from your description, it's more of a Mike Rowe situation with cows...

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

Yes. And it's unpleasant for everyone!

The animals don't have "gas" in the common sense; they get "foam", and that foam will not convert itself to gas they can expel. It basically wipes them out so they can't breath, eat or drink water.

So yea, you have to do unpleasant things, with unpleasant results (for you)...and the cows are suddenly happy as clams!

It's not something I would wish on anyone else because it's dangerous and unpleasant, but it has to be done.

Example: you stick a 14 ga. needle in a cow, and she's gonna scream like nobody's business. Stick a knife in her...and she's gonna go CRAZY!! So, you have to make sure you've got her secured enough where she doesn't kill you, another cow, or any of the calves...and that's not so easy.

ETA - She's gonna' follow you around like a dog afterwards, because you saved her life and she knows it, but a couple days later she's forgotten all about it and the whole thing starts all over again (if you let it).

Just as a side note, because of the alfalfa bloat thing, we now restrict our cows from alfalfa.

Dairy cows can eat it, but those cows are so closely monitored and handled, it's different.

We choose to go with different food now, just to avoid that.

Alfalfa is actually not a "hay" (or grass), it's actually a "legume" (or bean product), hence the issues.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

My grandparents raised cattle (along with pigs and chickens). I didn't know they had to deal with stuff like this. Thanks for sharing the story. My respect. Farming and livestock management aren't easy.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It is awful that this happens! I'm glad it sounds like you really care about your animals. To me, a non farmer, I had no idea such things happened and had to be dealt with.

Glad you were able to save your girls!
I'm a horse person and have been around cattle but really know next to nothing about their care. I know of bloat and its bovine remedy, but have never seen it done. Where exactly do you have to stick them? Is the placement critical or can it be anywhere along the large intestine distension? How do you sew them back up? In a chute with anesthetic or, whiskey and horsehair? (seen that done on an equine injury) Just curious!