MADISON, Wis. – What connection does manure have with forage?
Manure looks the way it does for a reason
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Normal manure from lactating cows is soft but formed.
Manure from cows on green pasture will be loose, but this cow pie from a grazing milk cow is still considered to be normal-looking and an indicator of decent digestion.
Foamy manure, created by excess acid and gas, should be considered abnormal. It's an indication of excess fermentation in the hind gut; feed didn’t digest where it should have.
Foamy abnormal manure,shown here, should not be confused with manure that's watery because cows are consuming grass-legume pasture.
Eaten does not mean digested. Seeing this much grain in manure isn't normal. Farmers should question whether grain needs a finer grind, or whether forage feeding and particle size are adequate.
Diarrhea is a sign of ruminal acidosis and digestive upset, or eating spoilage. It can also be caused by disease.
Mary Beth Hall is a dairy scientist with the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center.
MADISON, Wis. – Mary Beth Hall, a dairy scientist with the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, shares a simple way farmers can better examine f…