Bloat Risk: Serious

Key Points for Bloat:

• Bloat is shaping up to be a serious concern for cattle producers this season.
• Low ground cover throughout winter provides a “perfect storm” for bloat.
• Assess, monitor and act are key to an effective bloat management plan.
• The use of an effective bloat supplement is essential to integrated management.
• Don’t risk it. Use the best supplement for the best results.

The drier than usual summer and autumn conditions throughout southern Australia, followed by a late burst of moisture and warmer than usual winter temperatures, is likely to see a high risk of bloat across large swathes of NSW and Victoria this spring.

Why is bloat a concern this spring?

It’s hard to believe, when supplement feeding hay and silage throughout winter to maintain condition on cattle, that bloat could be a factor at all this season. However, the lack of ground cover throughout winter is a large consideration when estimating the risk. The reason for this is three-fold.

• Firstly, a lack of ground cover in early winter exposes the soil to stark fluctuations in day to night temperatures. This helps to soften clover seeds and support effective clover germination. It also can generate germination in clover seeds that have laid dormant for years.
• Secondly, leading into spring, low ground cover can generate less competition from other plants within the pasture and will likely see clover dominate when the days get warmer and longer.
• Finally, in clover, heavy grazing stimulates leaf and stem production as it enables sunlight to penetrate to the crown of the plant. In situations where pastures have been heavily grazed, clover will likely bounce back quicker than grasses.

According to ANP’s Chief Nutritionist, Dr Paul Meggison, “I’m expecting a perfect storm scenario similar to what we experienced a few years ago when fire affected properties low in ground cover saw clover dominate pastures in late winter and spring.”

Bloat Management Plan

Although bloat can be a significant issue for beef producers in particular, if managed effectively, clover can be the best pasture for growing stock throughout spring.

For many grazing systems, Spring is the best time to maximise production. There’s plenty of nutrition in clover, which is great for milk and weaner production. So, ideally, we want to minimise the risk of bloat while getting the most production out of the feed on offer.

An effective management plan includes assessing the current clover composition of pasture, monitoring clover growth and acting in a timely fashion when intervention is required:

Assess: Look closely at the composition of pastures in every paddock. In high risk paddocks you should be able to see small clover plants. In the right conditions, these plants will dominate pastures. If these plants make up a fair amount of your ground cover this is an indication that bloat risk will be high come spring.

Monitor: Under the right environmental conditions clover can grow quickly. It is important to monitor clover cover closely while also keeping an eye on symptoms of bloat in grazing cattle.

• If clover cover is less than 20% risk is medium.
• From 20% to 40% clover cover risk is high.
• If clover cover is greater than 40% risk is extreme.

Action: This involves adopting integrated control measures including:

1. Feeding hay to offset high clover consumption
2. Strip or cell graze to limit over consumption of the offending pasture
3. Supplementing high clover pasture with ANP’s bloat control products

ANP Bloat Control Products

• StockGro-Bloat Control 100: A tried and tested, antibiotic free, molasses based liquid feed supplement that delivers double the strength of Teric, to aid in the reduction of bloat symptoms and development on extreme bloat challenge pastures.
• StockGro-Bloat Control 50: A tried and tested, antibiotic free, molasses based liquid feed supplement that delivers measured levels of Teric (a highly effective surfactant), to aid in the reduction of bloat symptoms and development on high challenge pastures.
• StockMins-BoviBloat Plus: A dual action (Teric and Bovatec), mineral loose-lick supplement designed to assist in managing bloat symptoms and development.
• StockMins-Bloat Control: An antibiotic free, mineral loose-lick supplement designed to assist in managing of bloat symptoms and development.

There are no Silver Bullets

Dr Paul Meggison has been using ANP’s bloat management products in his own commercial Angus herd and selling it to Riverina producers for the last fifteen years. Paul’s experience combined with a wealth of anecdotal evidence gives him confidence to make the following recommendation.

“For best results, especially on high challenge pastures, ANP recommend using StockGro-Bloat Control 100 and integrating it as part of wider bloat management system”.

For more information contact the team at AusFarm Nutrition Products today 0412 048 055