Released June 13, 2008

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Weather this spring has been turbulent, unpredictable and devastating. Many parts of Arkansas experienced destructive tornadoes. These tornadoes spread all types of debris across the countryside.

"Much of this material landed on pastures and in hay meadows," Tom Troxel, extension animal science professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, said.

Items such as fiberglass insulation, metal, wood and other items are posing a problem for cattle producers who are now baling hay in many parts of the state, he said. It's not practical to pick up every bit of debris and trash that was blown onto farmland by the tornadoes.

"However, it's important to pick up all you can because you shouldn't bale hay with large pieces of foreign material, and you don't want cattle to ingest foreign material while grazing."

Small amounts of spun-glass insulation will be inadvertently baled up with the hay, he said, but is not likely to cause damage when ingested by cattle.

Fiberglass doesn't have toxic chemical properties, but any indigestible foreign material eaten by cattle can cause blockage in the digestive system, Troxel said. That means the risk associated with intestinal obstruction would likely be associated with the size of the insulation swallowed. Producers should do their best to pick up as much insulation as possible, he advised.

Another issue is related to the amount of small-sized insulation ingested, Troxel noted.

"If cattle consume enough small pieces of insulation in hay," he said, "it could bind together and create a large mass of insulation that could block the digestive tract and cause serious, even fatal problems. Oftentimes, we'll see these types of blockages when cattle consume twine or net wrap or plastic bag material."

Troxel said another concern is related to other foreign material, such as pieces of metal or splintered lumber. These items may penetrate the reticulum or other areas of the intestinal tract in cattle. This is often called hardware disease.

"Cattle commonly ingest foreign objects because they don't discriminate against metal materials in feed and don't completely masticate feed before swallowing," Troxel said. Cattle with hardware disease produce less milk and have physical symptoms such as shallow rapid breathing and mild temperature. The cow may exhibit an arched back and a reluctance to move.

Early medical attention is important, and may include surgery, according to Troxel.

Producers should also be observant when they feed hay in winter. Carefully examine hay bales for debris such as metal objects, splintered wood and fiberglass insulation, as the cattle are eating.

"Pull out any foreign object that might cause of problem. Dispose of the object properly because you don't what the object to find its way back onto the pasture," Troxel said.

For more information about debris in hay or forages, contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

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http://www.uaex.edu/news/june2008/0613grocery.htm

Contact: Lamar James, (501) 671-2187, ljames@uaex.edu