Autumn temperatures fluctuate greatly; when crops are harvested, do not let cattle and sheep eat five kinds of forage

    In autumn, temperatures are unstable and fluctuate greatly, and when crops are harvested, special attention must be paid to these five kinds of forage so that cattle and sheep do not eat them.

Cattle and sheep

    1. Dew-covered grass.In autumn the weather turns cool, and in the early morning and at dusk the blades of grass are covered with dew. If cattle and sheep eat dew-covered grass, they will develop bloat (ruminal tympany). Therefore, for autumn grazing, in the morning wait until the sun rises and the dew has disappeared, and bring the animals back to pasture before the dew appears in the evening.

    2. The soft husks on corn cobs.Corn cob husks are soft in texture and sweet in taste, and cattle and sheep like them very much, but they are rich in crude fiber and are especially tough, making them hard to chew and digest. Some farmers, busy with farm work and wanting to save time, do not chop them short or mix them with hay, and directly feed whole pieces of corn cob husk to cattle and sheep, which is very dangerous. The corn cob husks accumulate in the omasum and cause blockage; over time they ferment, rot, and produce gas, generating large amounts of toxic substances, leading to acidosis in cattle and sheep and even death.

    3. The second-growth seedlings of sorghum and corn after harvest.The second-growth seedlings of sorghum and corn after harvest are rich in hydrocyanic acid. Hydrocyanic acid is highly toxic, and after cattle and sheep eat it, poisoning easily occurs. Corn second-growth seedlings cannot be used as forage for cattle and sheep, nor should cattle and sheep be grazed in fields where corn second-growth seedlings are growing.

    4. Frost-bitten castor bean leaves and stems.In late autumn, frost-bitten castor bean leaves and stems contain the toxin ricinine, and after cattle and sheep eat them, poisoning easily occurs.

    5. Half-dry, half-moist sweet potato vines.Because when sweet potatoes are harvested, their vines have already aged, and the crude fiber in the vines has increased; after a few days of sun exposure, the crude fiber becomes soft and tough. After cattle and sheep eat them, these tough crude fibers that break easily do not break and instead twist into balls in the intestinal tract, causing blockage of the large or small intestine and forming impaction. If this disease is not diagnosed and treated in time, it easily causes death.