The Dangers of Fodder Beet for Cattle and Sheep

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 95, Issue 3, 16 September 1957, Page 227

The Dangers of Fodder Beet for Cattle and Sheep

By

V. J. WILLIAMS,

Scientific Officer, and M. R. COUP, Toxicologist, both of Department

of Agriculture Ruakura Animal Research Station, Hamilton

FODDER beet is a valuable crop for pigs, sheep, and cattle in winter, but when fed to cattle in excessive quantities it has caused digestive upsets and even death. In one of several outbreaks of beet poisoning in cattle in, New Zealand 22 animals died and several others showed a marked digestive disturbance. There have been no field reports of poisoning in either sheep or pigs, but poisoning has been produced at Ruakura in sheep by dosing them with beet juice. Information gained from these field outbreaks and sheep dosing trials has enabled recommendations to be made on the variety and quantity of fodder beet which should be fed to sheep and cattle.

THE September 1955 issue of the “Journal” contained two informative articles on fodder beet, one, by A. Longwill, discussing fodder beet for pig feeding, and the other, by J. H. Claridge, describing the characteristics of the fodder beet plant as they affect its use for stock. All fodder beets are a cross between mangels and sugar beets; mangels are low in sugar and dry matter and sugar beets are high in both. The amount of these substances in fodder beet varies considerably between these two extremes according to the varieties and the district in which they are grown.

As the sugar content and dry matter are directly related to one another, only the dry matter level need be considered. Though the dry matter varies with the district, all varieties vary to the same degree, so that all beets can be grouped according to the amount of dry matter irrespective of where they are grown. The . sugar beets Klein, Maribo P, Hunsballe, and Hinderupgaard are very high in dry matter, and :of the fodder beets, Pajbjerg Rex and Rex are high and Red Otofte and Korsroe are moderate. Cause of Digestive Trouble The tops of fodder beet contain balanced amounts of protein and

Fodder beet is a very valuable winter crop for both cattle and sheep, and digestive upsets or poisoning will not occur if the crop is managed correctly.

carbohydrate and are suitable feed for growing or milking animals; the roots, however, where most of the dry matter is concentrated in the form of easily digestible carbohydrate, mainly sugar, are low in protein and should be supplemented by pasture. It is this carbohydrate which leads to digestive upsets in ruminants by interfering with the bacteria which aid digestion in the paunch. These digestive upsets will happen only when cattle are allowed to eat too much beet, particularly when they are first put on to it. It is therefore imperative that fodder beets should be strictly rationed to cattle and sheep and that the animals should be introduced to them gradually. Sudden access to a full ration of roots or gorging can cause the animals to lose appetite, with marked loss of production in dairy stock. If the herd shows any sign of going off feed, it should be immediately removed from the crop and kept off it for 2 to 3 weeks. It may then be re-introduced to the crop in a smaller ration. ... Gorging can also result in death. In these cases the animals suffer not only from severe indigestion, but in the paunch a toxin is formed which,

when absorbed into the body, causes marked concentration of the blood and consequently failure of the blood circulation. Suitable Varieties In the selection of a suitable variety of beet one further point has to be considered; namely, the amount of the root that grows above the ground. This varies considerably with the variety. For use in break feeding with an electric fence the beet needed is one which does not grow too deeply in the ground and which produces a high amount of feed per acre without having a dry matter content high enough to make it excessively dangerous. The fodder beets which best fulfil both these requirements are the varieties Red Otofte and Korsroe, which grow with only about half the root in the ground and are of moderate dry matter content. The maximum amount of fodder beets such as Red Otofte and Korsroe which can safely be fed is about 401 b. per day for a Jersey cow and about 601 b. for a Friesian, and about 61b. for an adult Romney ewe. This maximum amount must be reached gradually over about 2 to 3 weeks after feeding of the beet begins. Up to 101 b. are allowed for the first 3 days and 151 b. for the next 3, the quantity being gradually increased to the maximum during the following week or two. The quantity of roots fed per cow should be fairly accurately assessed. A few beets should be weighed, and then if the number of plants per row is counted, an estimate can be made of the number of rows required for a day’s break or to be pulled.

If the ration is not introduced gradually in the manner described or if stock break into a crop and gorge themselves on beet, indigestion and poisoning are certain to occur. Precautions Required If varieties with a higher dry matter content than Red Otofte or Korsroe are fed to cattle or sheep, extreme care must. be taken and the ration should be reduced below that recommended for these varieties. Information on the dry matter content of the different ’ varieties can be obtained from the local Instructor in Agriculture.

In addition to this danger the tops may also cause two other types of poisoning, but they are less likely to occur and have not been recorded in New Zealand in cattle or sheep on

fodder beet. One is nitrite poisoning and the other oxalate poisoning. The former is particularly liable to occur if the tops are fed off when immature. Poisoned animals may show staggers and laboured breathing or there may be sudden death without signs of sickness beforehand. To save an animal affected with this type of poisoning veterinary assistance should be sought at once. The oxalate poisoning produces signs similar to those seen in milk- fever and can be cured by the same injection as is used for this disease.

Again it should be emphasised that if trouble does occur when cattle or sheep are put on fodder beet, the main thing to do is to stop feeding it for a week or two, and then introduce it again gradually with a lower maximum intake. Though this report has concentrated on the dangers associated with fodder beet, it is emphasised that it is a very valuable winter crop for both cattle and sheep and that digestive upsets or poisoning will not occur if the crop is managed correctly.