Julianne Racine, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources | CC, 4-H | NDSU Extension - LaMoure County
Julianne Racine, Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources | CC, 4-H | NDSU Extension - LaMoure County
Over the holiday season, humans often experience stomach discomfort due to changes in diet. However, for cows, a churning stomach is a sign of a healthy rumen system. This involves the movement of the rumen and reticulum to mix ingested food with rumen fluid and microbes. Indicators of a healthy rumen include balanced bacteria for fiber and starch digestion and a neutral pH.
Cow herds in the Northern Plains graze on pastures during the grazing season, consuming forage that supports fiber-digesting microbes in their rumens. When grazing ends, many cow herds move to drylots for winter, requiring significant dietary adjustments that can impact rumen health if not managed correctly.
Maintaining a healthy rumen environment during this period is crucial. The goal is to ensure that when grass returns in spring, cows can resume grazing without needing an adjustment period.
The shift from pasture forage with 80% moisture to dry hay with 15% moisture requires careful management. Forage testing is necessary to understand nutrient content and determine if supplements are needed. Supplements may include grains high in starch or co-products high in digestible fiber.
A rapid change from high forage to high concentrate diets can harm the rumen environment by decreasing pH levels and altering bacterial composition, potentially leading to bloat or acidosis. To prevent this, it's important not to exceed feeding starch supplements beyond 0.5% of body weight daily and consider using highly digestible fibers like soybean hulls or corn gluten feed.
Ensuring adequate fiber intake helps control drops in rumen pH by stimulating cud chewing and saliva production which buffer against acidity changes. Effective fiber depends on particle size; thus, hay should be chopped no finer than half an inch when mixed with supplements.
Overall herd health relies heavily on maintaining healthy rumens through consistent dry matter intake, sufficient dietary fiber for proper digestion processes, and access to ample water supplies during their time in drylots.
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