—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 27, 1977
16
MEDICINE AND
Facts on twisted stomachs
Those in the dairy industry
who are always bragging
about the “good old days,”
have one definite item in
support of their contention.
Twenty years ago nobody
had ever heard of a “twisted
stomach” or “displaced
abomasum” (DA). But
nobody is quite sure whether
the condition did not exist or
that it existed but nobody
knew what it was. But one
fact is certain; the incidence
of displaced abomasum in
many parts of the country is
drastically increasing every
year. The incidence of
displacements this Summer
is particularly alarming.
The problem is that very
Egg producers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
U.S. Department of
Agriculture has issued an
invitation for noncertified
egg producer
organizations, associations,
or cooperatives to apply for
certification in order to
participate in nominating
American Egg Board
members.
The 18-member Board
administers the Egg
Research and Promotion
Order authorized by the Egg
Research and Consumer
Information Act of 1974. The
initial two-year term is
nearing completion for nine
Board members and their
Enfield chairs
Md. ag comm.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Leon
B. Enfield, a Knoxville, Md.,
dairyman, has been elected
chairman of the Maryland
Agricultural Commission at
its reorganization meeting.
He succeeds William H.
Klemwachter, of Preston,
Md., who has served as
chairman for the past two
years.
T. Allan Stradley of
Chestertown, Md., was
elected commission vice
chairman. He takes over the
post that has been held by
Harry C. Walter of
Hughesvdle, Md.
In other Commission news,
two new members have
joined the group following
their appointment by acting
Governor Blair Lee. They
are William I. (“Billy”)
King of Irvington Farm,
Gaithersburg, Montgomery
County; and Harry Black of
Thurmont, Frederick
County Both men will serve
three year terms on the 17-
member commission
Members of the com
mission are appointed by the
Governor The group serves
as an advisory body to the
Maryland Department of
Agriculture. All major
Maryland commodity in
terests are represented
little is known for certain as
to the cause or predisposing
factors, but lets examine
what is known and try to
provide any information
which might be helpful.
The abomasum is the
fourth stomach of the cow
and is the one which is the
culprit. Displacements can
be left (LDA) or right
(RDA). The abomasum is
not necessarily twisted but
more frequently just
displaced to the left or right
of its normal position.
Movement of food through
the abomasum is impeded,
gas builds 19, and the cow
goes off feed.
invited
alternates. Certified egg
producer organizations,
associations, or cooperatives
soon will be asked to submit
nominees to fill these
memberships.
Organizations wishing to
be certified should contact
John C. Pierce, director,
Livestock Division,
Agricultural Marketing
Service, USDA, Washington,
D.C. 20250 as soon as
possible for certification
details. Completed ap
plications for certification
must be received by Sep
tember 15,1977, Pierce said.
By CARL TROOP, VMD
There are two main
classes of to how
the displacement occurs.
One is mechanical, that is
the abomasum is forced into
its abnormal position,
usually during or shortly
after calving. The other
theory is that the abomasum
itself loses its muscle tone
and is no longer able to
maintain its place in the
cow’s abdomen, migrates to
its new position, and
becomes trapped there.
Lately there is more leaning
towards this theory, for in
most displacements the cow
also has failed to clean, or
even if she has cleaned often
has a metritis (uterine in
fection). This'may indicate
that the uterus also has a
lack of muscle tone and is
unable to expel that which it
should normally be able to
expel. The question as to why
remains to be solved.
Frequency of
displacements has a definite
cycle. They are lowest in
Spring and early Summer,
high in late summer,
medium occurance in Fall
and early Winter, the in
cidence increasing into late
Winter and early Spring.
Then as cows hit the
pastures in Spring the oc
curance almost
miraculously stops for a
while. There is much dif
ference between farms
themselves. There are some
farms which have never
experienced a known
displacement. Then there
are others with equal
numbers of cows which will
average six to eight
displacements every year.
Generally, ones which feed
the finer chopped forages
i, silage and haylage as op
posed to long stem hay) and
feed large amounts at the
least number of feedings.
But there are exceptions.
Displacement almost
always occurs near calving
time, so clients who have
asked how to eliminate the
problem of displacements
have been tdd simply just to
not breed the cow back.
More serious recom
mendations are in the line of
a feeding program which
will best reduce the chances
of displacement.
The dry cow should have a
fibrous ration, including at
least six to ten pounds of dry
hay. Grain diould be fed only
to dry cows receiving fair to
poor forage, but the better
program is to feed high
quality balanced forage so
no grain is necessary. Even
if grain is fed it should be,
limited to four to six pounds
per day.
Keeping'the fresh cow “on
feed” while increasing grain
intake presents a
management challenge.
Some helpful hints all of
which are important:
1. Keep cows from
becoming overconditioned
“too fat” during the dry
period.
2. Use only the most highly
palatible feeds.
3. Provide dry hay free
choice.
4. Include some bulky
ingredients in the early post
calving grain ration (beet
pulp, bran, oats, etc.).
5. Avoid highly acid silage,
at least the first week o r two.
6. Treat “off feed” con
ditions promptly.
7. Allow the cow to remain
active or only limited
restraint before and after
calving.
8. Do not make abrupt
changes in ration m early
lactation.
The last two weeks before
calving bring the cows onto
gram gradually up to about
12 to 20 pound" depending on
size and expected produc
tion. After calving increase
grain feeding by only one to
two pound daily. The rate of
increase must be carefully
controlled. Proper feeding is
critical during this period.
One other feeding
management program
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which is very important not
only
reduction, but also rumen
function, increased ratior A
digestibility, production, ana 9
profit is to stretch the
feeding time of the animal
1 across as much of the day as
possible. Instead of placing
the animals entire ration in
front of it at only two
separate feedings, great
benefits can be reaped by
feeding three, four, or even
five times per day. Doing
this with the finer portions of
the ration (grain) will be the
most noticeably beneficial,
but will be of benefit with
any portion of the ration by
helping to even out the
fermentation load in the
rumen.
Displacement therapy by
surgery is highly successful,
but the greatest success is
prevention. Time, produc
tion, and profit is lost for
every cow which must go
under the knife. A common
sense feeding program can
help, but will not be a 100 per
cent answer for many herds
Hopefully new research wiir-*
shed new light on this I
growing problem.
SILAGE OR GRAIN
WEIGHER
Models to weigh silage, gram or other
feedstuffs in continuous flow No elec
tricity required easy to move from one
location to another. Also a full line of
protein meters, bin flow switches and
other automation accessories
displacement