Show n FEEDING AND LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT C CU U By Dr Gustav Bohstedt Emeritus Professor of Animal Husbandry University y of Wisconsin Avoiding Grass Staggers In Cattle Grass staggers or grass tet- tet any is likely to occur in some areas more than in others and usually on spring pasture It Itis is also more likely to afflict older cows both beef and dairy dahy rather than calf first heifers In some areas grass has been so frequent that along with other reasons some dairy dairy- dairymen dairymen men have turned to 4 feed feed- feeding feeding ing Instead of i pasture sl S In one way ya i or another lack of mag- mag magnesium is t involved whether because of its Dr ability In the early grass or Its slow ow release from the cows cow's skeleton in View of the sudden demand for it on fresh fresh- ening or for still other reasons possibly insufficient tion consumption of salt grass is a areal areal real problem A magnesium sulphate Ep- Ep Epsom Epsom som salts drench for an af- af cow was found effective years ago by the Michigan Ex- Ex Experiment Experiment Station More recently Georgia researchers re- re researchers searchers found that the use of ofa ofa a magnesium fortified mineral mineraI containing 14 magnesium in ina ina a palatable formulation apparently apparently protected herds of cows in areas where grass had been he en Ii a serious problem At a nutrition conference it was suggested that the con con- consumption consumption of two ounces daily per head during the seasonal period would serve Bene as a pre pre- preventive preventive I Cases of so called i in cattle may be deter deter- determined determined mined by a blood test where levels of serum magnesium may mayI maybe maybe I be as low as 06 05 to 10 milligram percent Kansas researchers found that cattle on early succulent pasture consumed far more sill salt than on midsummer pasture and consumed three times as much salt on corn silage rations than on alfalfa hay rations It seems that a degree of im- im imbalance imbalance balance of potassium and mag- mag magnesium magnesium in succulent forages prompts the consumption of more salt perhaps for self self- protection and a liberal intake of salt saIt appears to be a factor in the prevention of grass tet- tet any on early pasture The Georgia suggestion of adding magnesium to a salt salt- mineral mixture may have merit in this respect Question Does feed feed- feeding feeding ing of cows in summer set up nutritional requirements that are not so apparent on pasture Answer At the South Dakota Experiment Station it was found that cows on stored feed wanted more supplementary minerals They also found that cows after many months keenly relished a chance at pas ture but a again nin after months on pasture keenly relished dry dry- lot feed |