Last monthwe discourse wellness concerns in fleshy equines . Mobility and metabolic issue abounded . This calendar month , we ’ll learn that our ruminant species have similar problems as they jam on the quid and cattle produce heavy .
Feeding cattlefor product , be it weighting gain for walloping or to attain a good body experimental condition for calving and milking , is a wily mental process . This explain why some folks go as far as get doctorial degree in ruminant nutrition . thing can get very complicated very quickly . But take heart . You ’ve belike already got thebasicscovered .
allow ’s focus today on what happens when there ’s too much of a near thing , or , when is a fattened wind too fat ?
Frame Size
cows with smaller systema skeletale sizes tend to have more wellness issue at heavier weight , simply due to mechanics . Structurally , their legs and feet are n’t robust enough to hold a frame of excessive free weight . This can touch mobility to the gunpoint of do a public assistance concern .
Larger framed breeds such as Simmental or Charolais are genetically adapted to handle heavy organic structure weights . But take care with smaller frame filiation , especially some of the inheritance breeds . These “ metier ” strain lack the tough frames to deal heavy body weights .
Lameness/Foot Issues
While researchers have demonstrated the ease in which equine founder can be caused just by feeding excess amount of sugar , the same method acting have not been successful in inducing bovine founder . So while oxen are not quite as pre - disposed to laminitis ( also visit laminitis ) as horses are , they can abide from foot botheration linked to excessive body free weight .
A heavy frame exacerbates any modest conformation military issue or pathology in the foot . Dietary interference can result in laminitic lesions such as sole ulcers and hemorrhages .
Heat Stress
enceinte and fleshy Bos taurus are more inefficient at heat dispersion in warmer temperature compared to their thinner age bracket . When humidness rises , this can become a serious enough issue to cause heat stress in these animals .
Decreased feed consumption , higher nub rates and agitation are some early signs of heat accent in kine . In the summertime months , farmers should view body weights when assess their ruck direction in the heat .
Metabolic Issues
Over - conditioneddairy cowsare at risk for relatively vulgar metabolic challenge , include fatty liver and ketosis . Being overweight in late gestation alter these animals ’ metabolic tract such that , at clip of calving and subsequent sudden switch to striking milk production , their bodies shunt rich depot to the liver . This bedevil the metabolic pathways that require ready energy for milk production demands . This leads to a production of ketones and further rich sedimentation in the liver , which then typically make the beast feel poorly .
She will then end feeding , which makes the situation defective and a negative feedback loop worsens .
The good fashion to stay in the lead of these issues is to monitor thebody condition scores ofyour animals on a regular cornerstone , or at least once a season . If your herd is large enough , consider subdividing based on eubstance condition lots . This can serve you cut feeding to the specific needs of your animals and forbid the complications that unreasonable dead body weight can wreak in cattle .
