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We had a corn tub with about 2400 lb of corn spill out in a cow herd of about 60. They ate it all. Previous to this, they had been getting 5 lb per head per day of corn for about two weeks in addition to alfalfa, straw, and distillers solubles. The veterinarian told us to put baking soda in the tank and watch them for 12 hours. None seem to be acting oddly during that 12-hour period. Are they going to be adversely affected for the long run?

Last Updated: February 26, 2008

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If all cows ate their fair share of the corn, they would have consumed about 40 lb/head. That's a pretty good amount of corn and has the potential to founder cows. The good thing is that they were eating some corn prior to the exposure to this large amount of corn, so it wasn't a total shock to the rumen. The sodium bicarbonate in the water would help buffer the rumen as the digestion of the corn will result in an acid environment in the rumen. About 2.5 lb of sodium bicarbonate per 100 gallons of water is what we have recommended. You should watch for stiffness and loose stools to determine if there were any adverse effects of the corn intake on health.

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