By Lynette Simango
Bloating can be very dangerous, the reason why farmers need to strictly watch their livestock’s diet as it kills in just a matter of hours. The most probable cause is when cattle graze on pastures with many high protein forages such as legumes and clover. Despite you managing their diet, you should also make sure the animals are not very hungry when you turn them out in the field. So you would rather feed them first before they leave the kraal. This is so as to prevent them from overeating the alfalfa or clover they find out there, which may in turn result in bloating.
However if you ever find yourself in a situation where you will need to treat one of your cattle from bloat, here is how you do it👇
You stab it on the left hand side, that’s where the rumen is and this allows the gases to escape the rumen thus saving your animal from death. You can use a narrow sharp or a large bore needle to do that. Though painful, it works
In severe cases you may visit the vet and he can pass a stomach tube into your cow to relieve it from bloating. Not saying you can’t do this on your own but sometimes you need a vet’s attention to deal with potential complicating factors.
#vaMudhumeni #Helpingfarmersgrow #Saveacow