Gastrointestinal parasites cause significant economic losses and are listed in the top three fatal conditions in sheep and goats. Internal parasites in sheep and goats cause disease when they are present in large numbers or when the host animal is weakened by another disease or by poor nutrition. Damage to the host occurs when parasites attach to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and ingest blood – large numbers of parasites can create anemia from blood loss.
When calves are born, they start out as simple stomached animals. The change from one digestive method to another is a process that is called rumen development. The first two compartments make up one large fermentation vat, the third is an unusual-looking organ that absorbs water and minerals from digesta leaving the rumen, and the fourth is the true stomach that functions like the stomach of monogastric (people and pigs). All four of these stomachs are present at birth; however, only the abomasum is fully developed …
Molds are fungi (fuzzy or dusty – appearing) that occur commonly in feedstuffs, including roughages and concentrates. Molds can infect dairy cattle causing a disease referred to as mycosis. Mycosis is most likely when cows may be immune-suppressed during stressful periods. A mycosis can occur in various locations such as lungs, mammary gland, uterus, or intestine. An intestinal infection may result in hemorrhagic bowel. Molds may also affect cattle by producing poisons called mycotoxins that affect animals when they consume contaminated feeds, resulting in a mycotoxicosis.
Milk Fever
Milk fever, also known as hypocalcemia is a common bovine metabolic disorder resulting from calcium deficiency. Cows usually experience milk fever when approaching calving or just after calving. Calcium demand for a cow starting lactation is almost double compared to when she was not lactating and pregnant. Around calving, blood-calcium levels may drop below the normal range leading to homeostatic failure.
Calcium deficiency results in:
Usually, our first thought when we see a bug in a field is a pest. Pests can kill, defoliate, and consume entire leaves. If there is an abundance of pests they can do a bunch of damage to an entire field and drastically lower the yield of the field. There are many common pests to watch out for. A common practice to eliminate these pests is using pesticides. Unfortunately, there can be many negative effects when using pesticides.
Why We Ferment Forage
Fermenting forages is very beneficial to cattle nutrition and production-wise. When forage is fermented it causes a breakdown of forage material, making it easier for animals to digest. Since the fermented forage is easier to digest, the bodies can digest forage quicker and releases more energy for the animal. The cattle can utilize the feed more efficiently and this will result in less waste in the undigested material that they excrete.
Breaking it down to the molecular level, microbes multiply and break …
