Stalk rot has caused moderate to heavy harvest losses across the state. Heavy corn losses result in opportunities for cattle to regain body condition prior to winter, but the chances of corn overloads are very high, Strohbehn cautioned. Perfect conditions for overloads now exist, because cows are very hungry due to short pasture forage supplies and large amounts of dropped corn exist in many fields. There are a lot more dropped corn ears this year than in a normal year. Corn engorgement can result in rumen acidosis, a condition caused by the rapid increase in rumen lactic acid resulting from a sudden change in the animals' diets.
Producers can avoid problems by conditioning cattle prior to turn out.
Day 2 - Feed 12 pounds of corn. Day 3 - Feed 12 to 15 pounds of corn. By feeding cattle like this prior to turnout and making sure they are full, you can help prevent grain overloads. However, if producers notice cattle quickly bloating or scouring after cornstalk turn out, it is likely grain overloads have occurred, Strohbehn said. In severe cases, seek treatment quickly from a local veterinarian.