A rotational grazing system helps keep legumes in the stand longer. It usually occurs in cattle grazing lush legumes, such as alfalfa, ladino, or white clover. The danger of bloat is greatest when pasture plants are young, lush, and high in soluble protein. The disorder is due to the foaming properties of soluble leaf proteins, which are more prevalent in legumes. Of the commonly grown legumes, alfalfa and ladino clover are classified as highly dangerous, white and red clovers are moderately dangerous, and crimson and subterranean clovers as mildly dangerous.
Current research supports both animal and plant characteristics as predisposing to legume bloat.
Research has shown that some cows can be classified according to their susceptibility to pasture bloat into high or low susceptibility and the offspring show influences of their parentage. A number of inherited characteristics are related to bloat. Individual cattle have been classified as having either high or low susceptibility to legume bloat. High susceptible cattle have larger rumen volumes than non-bloating animals. There is a slower rate of passage of particles from the rumen in bloating cows.