Post by katiesdad on Nov 18, 2007 22:03:34 GMT -5
Here is an interesting link that gives you some info on your cows feed and digestion abilities.
MANURE
You will look at poop differently than you used to.
************************************************************************************************
By Mary Beth de Ondarza, Ph.D.
Paradox Nutrition, LLC, West Chazy, NY
Looking at manure can give clues as to what is happening
inside the cow. Every pile of manure coming from a highproducing
cow should look like a pile of shaving cream. Ideal
manure should stand up about 1.5 inches, have 3-6 rings, and
have a dimple in the middle. There should not be much visible
grain or fiber in it. There are a number of reasons why manure
may not look perfect.
Rumen Acidosis
Manure from cows experiencing rumen acidosis is typically
somewhat loose, pasty, and shiny. It may appear a bit foamy
with obvious gas bubbles. There may be mucin casts in it.
These can be seen moving behind your boot as you drag it
through a pile of manure. Manure from cows with acidosis also
typically contains more undigested fiber and grain. Some people
like to screen manure through a sieve to evaluate the amount of
undigested feed in it. My rule is that if I can see grain and fiber
when I “toe-test” the manure, there is too much.
Why does manure from a cow with rumen acidosis look
like this? When there is not enough effective fiber in the diet,
the rumen mat will be inadequate for slowing feed passage, and
there will not be enough rumination to control rumen acidity.
More undigested grain and fiber will flow out of the rumen,
because of the higher passage rate and due to the fact that the
fiber-digesting rumen microbes don’t work as well in an acidic
rumen.
One result of this is more fiber and grain in the manure.
Also, as more of the ration gets flushed to the cow’s intestine,
more intestinal fermentation occurs. Fermentation produces
organic acids and when these acids build up in the intestine,
they damage the intestinal wall.
Once this occurs, more mucous is secreted in order to try to
protect the intestine. Some of this mucous eventually ends up
in the manure giving it a shiny appearance in addition to showing
up as mucin casts. Gasses are created during intestinal fermentation
of feed. These gasses cannot be belched out of the
intestine as they are from the rumen. Instead, they end up in
the manure as little bubbles.
If one cow has stiff manure and the next has loose manure,
it could indicate that cows are not eating consistently from day
to day and that rumen health is not the best. Inconsistent
manure can indicate that cows are eating more concentrate on
some days and more forage on other days. They may be sorting
their TMR.
Other Reasons for Grain in the Manure
Besides acidosis, there can be other reasons for grain to end
up in the manure. Too much slowly digestible starch can result
in grain in the manure. Ration grains may need to be ground or
heated more to speed their digestion. Or, a more rapidly
digestible source of starch or sugar may need to be fed.
The rumen microbes require a blend of rapidly and slowly
digestible starches and sugars. Too much rapidly fermenting
starch and sugar can result in rumen acidosis and too much
slowly digesting starch reduces energy availability because it
ends up in the manure.
Increasing grain fermentation in the rumen may require
more dietary fiber and a reduction in ration concentrate level in
order to avoid rumen acidosis. Insufficient amounts of rumen
degradable protein or nitrogen in the diet may also lead to
poorer performance of the rumen microbes and more grain
showing up in the manure.
High Rumen Degradable Protein
Most producers know that if they change to a better hay
crop silage or put cows out on lush pasture, they can expect
manure to loosen up if they don’t adjust the ration for this
increase in rumen degradable protein. With excessive rumen
degradable protein, all cows get loose manure. It won’t be
inconsistent among cows. The manure also doesn’t have the
same pasty, shiny, bubbly appearance as with manure from a
cow with acidosis.
Spoiled Feed with Molds and Mycotoxins
Feeding spoiled feed can throw off intakes and create rumen
function problems. Mycotoxins often result in intermittent
diarrhea. Reducing the amount of spoiled feed in the ration or
adding a mycotoxin binder to the diet should help to curb this
loose manure.
What Manure Can’t Tell You
Life would be easy if manure could tell us the whole story
about nutrition. It doesn’t. There is little relationship between
manure appearance and the balance of amino acids at the small
intestine, a primary driver of peak milk yield. The type of
fat arriving at the small intestine is highly related to milk
component production. This is partly dependent on rumen
health, but it may just be related to the type of fats in the diet.
They do not impact the manure. Most issues with dietary
minerals — unless they are fairly drastic — do not affect
manure appearance.
The Bottom Line
Manure evaluation can be a useful first step to judge rumen
function and ration digestibility. Milk production, milk component
production, cow health, cow appearance, rumination time, and
ration nutrients all need to be looked at — along with a manure
evaluation — in order to draw the best conclusions.
MANURE Focus of the Month • July 2007
What it can and can’t tell you.
WORLD of COW by Stik reprinted with permission (www.stik.biz)
MANURE
You will look at poop differently than you used to.
************************************************************************************************
By Mary Beth de Ondarza, Ph.D.
Paradox Nutrition, LLC, West Chazy, NY
Looking at manure can give clues as to what is happening
inside the cow. Every pile of manure coming from a highproducing
cow should look like a pile of shaving cream. Ideal
manure should stand up about 1.5 inches, have 3-6 rings, and
have a dimple in the middle. There should not be much visible
grain or fiber in it. There are a number of reasons why manure
may not look perfect.
Rumen Acidosis
Manure from cows experiencing rumen acidosis is typically
somewhat loose, pasty, and shiny. It may appear a bit foamy
with obvious gas bubbles. There may be mucin casts in it.
These can be seen moving behind your boot as you drag it
through a pile of manure. Manure from cows with acidosis also
typically contains more undigested fiber and grain. Some people
like to screen manure through a sieve to evaluate the amount of
undigested feed in it. My rule is that if I can see grain and fiber
when I “toe-test” the manure, there is too much.
Why does manure from a cow with rumen acidosis look
like this? When there is not enough effective fiber in the diet,
the rumen mat will be inadequate for slowing feed passage, and
there will not be enough rumination to control rumen acidity.
More undigested grain and fiber will flow out of the rumen,
because of the higher passage rate and due to the fact that the
fiber-digesting rumen microbes don’t work as well in an acidic
rumen.
One result of this is more fiber and grain in the manure.
Also, as more of the ration gets flushed to the cow’s intestine,
more intestinal fermentation occurs. Fermentation produces
organic acids and when these acids build up in the intestine,
they damage the intestinal wall.
Once this occurs, more mucous is secreted in order to try to
protect the intestine. Some of this mucous eventually ends up
in the manure giving it a shiny appearance in addition to showing
up as mucin casts. Gasses are created during intestinal fermentation
of feed. These gasses cannot be belched out of the
intestine as they are from the rumen. Instead, they end up in
the manure as little bubbles.
If one cow has stiff manure and the next has loose manure,
it could indicate that cows are not eating consistently from day
to day and that rumen health is not the best. Inconsistent
manure can indicate that cows are eating more concentrate on
some days and more forage on other days. They may be sorting
their TMR.
Other Reasons for Grain in the Manure
Besides acidosis, there can be other reasons for grain to end
up in the manure. Too much slowly digestible starch can result
in grain in the manure. Ration grains may need to be ground or
heated more to speed their digestion. Or, a more rapidly
digestible source of starch or sugar may need to be fed.
The rumen microbes require a blend of rapidly and slowly
digestible starches and sugars. Too much rapidly fermenting
starch and sugar can result in rumen acidosis and too much
slowly digesting starch reduces energy availability because it
ends up in the manure.
Increasing grain fermentation in the rumen may require
more dietary fiber and a reduction in ration concentrate level in
order to avoid rumen acidosis. Insufficient amounts of rumen
degradable protein or nitrogen in the diet may also lead to
poorer performance of the rumen microbes and more grain
showing up in the manure.
High Rumen Degradable Protein
Most producers know that if they change to a better hay
crop silage or put cows out on lush pasture, they can expect
manure to loosen up if they don’t adjust the ration for this
increase in rumen degradable protein. With excessive rumen
degradable protein, all cows get loose manure. It won’t be
inconsistent among cows. The manure also doesn’t have the
same pasty, shiny, bubbly appearance as with manure from a
cow with acidosis.
Spoiled Feed with Molds and Mycotoxins
Feeding spoiled feed can throw off intakes and create rumen
function problems. Mycotoxins often result in intermittent
diarrhea. Reducing the amount of spoiled feed in the ration or
adding a mycotoxin binder to the diet should help to curb this
loose manure.
What Manure Can’t Tell You
Life would be easy if manure could tell us the whole story
about nutrition. It doesn’t. There is little relationship between
manure appearance and the balance of amino acids at the small
intestine, a primary driver of peak milk yield. The type of
fat arriving at the small intestine is highly related to milk
component production. This is partly dependent on rumen
health, but it may just be related to the type of fats in the diet.
They do not impact the manure. Most issues with dietary
minerals — unless they are fairly drastic — do not affect
manure appearance.
The Bottom Line
Manure evaluation can be a useful first step to judge rumen
function and ration digestibility. Milk production, milk component
production, cow health, cow appearance, rumination time, and
ration nutrients all need to be looked at — along with a manure
evaluation — in order to draw the best conclusions.
MANURE Focus of the Month • July 2007
What it can and can’t tell you.
WORLD of COW by Stik reprinted with permission (www.stik.biz)
