Bloat: gas build-up in the rumen
Bloat is a build-up of gas in the rumen, the first stomach compartment of cattle, sheep and goats. It causes swelling on the animal's left side and usually follows grazing lush legume pasture or a sudden change to rich feed.
What signs of bloat should you watch for?
Bloat can cause a visibly swollen, tight left flank and loss of appetite. An affected animal may breathe with its mouth open or repeatedly lie down and get up. A swollen flank with difficult breathing is an emergency: act immediately and note the details afterwards.
How can you reduce bloat on pasture?
Introduce lush pasture gradually and offer dry forage, such as hay, before turnout. Avoid grazing wet legumes when dew is heavy. Note the date, paddock and animal's ear tag whenever bloat occurs, so you can spot repeated problems. For example, three cows developing bloat on the same paddock in one week points to a problem with that paddock and helps you decide where to focus your checks.
Questions from the farm
Why does lush pasture cause bloat?
Fresh legumes and young grass can form foam as they break down in the rumen. The foam traps gas and prevents the animal from releasing it by belching.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
Use HerdMobile to note each bloat case with the animal's ear tag, date and paddock. You can then look back at repeated cases and check whether they followed grazing the same paddock.
