When people hear ‘grass tetany,’ they usually think of spring – lush grasses, green pastures, and cows grazing happily. But tetany can sneak up on you even in winter when you feed your cows hay or silage. However, it can also happen when cattle are fed harvested forages like silage or hay.
Grass tetany is most often associated with cattle grazing immature cool-season grasses or lush annual forages. However, it can also occur during the winter when cattle are fed hay. This condition can happen with regular hay, alfalfa hay, or annual forages that have been harvested for hay. It is especially true if hay is being fed in a dry lot, which is the only feed source.
For those of you not in the know, you may be asking, “What is grass tetany?“, “What kinds of problems can it cause my operation?” and “How do I treat or even prevent it from happening?“. Regarding those questions, here are some things you should consider.
