GREEN-BARLEY TROUBLE AMONG CATTLE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 2, 21 August 1916, Page 104

GREEN-BARLEY TROUBLE AMONG CATTLE.

This is a complaint sometimes met with in dairy, cows and often not recognized- by the stockowner. It is brought about through feeding the stock on green barley which is in the stage of earforming. It may happen, for instance, that oats and barley are grown separately as green feed for cows. After reaching a certain height the oats are perhaps blown down and have to be used first. The barley when fed is coming into ear, and in a few hours the cows are found to be affected with acute indigestion. . The symptoms of the trouble are considerable shrinkage of milk, off feed, animals standing about with- arched backs (some hardly able to walk owing to an inflammation of the feet), grinding of the teeth, and sometimes saliva running from the mouth. I have also noticed staggering in some cases. Many animals recover in the course of time by treatment with aperients and stomachics, but others remain in indifferent health for months and are practically useless for that season. I am well aware that some farmers have fed their stock. for years on green barley without bad results, but in such cases the green feed has been started when, it was young, and the animals have, been gradually accustomed ,to the conditions when the barley eventually came into ear. The majority of cases brought under my notice' have been caused through the cows being turned into a paddock adjoining barley for cropping. It is therefore essential that barley should be sown a certain distance from the fence in order to ensure that stock cannot reach it.—S. Burton, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinarian.