Bloating steer

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LLBUX

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
697
Location
Chapin, Illinois
My son's steer seems to be bloated all the time.  Not so bad that he is in danger of suffocation/death.
I am concerned that it is affecting his rate of gain.
He is big framed and needs more finish too.

Feeding rolled corn, protein pellets, sweet feed, alfalfa pellets and grass hay.

Is it the alfalfa pellets?

Sodium bicarb the answer?
 

CLMAngus

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Messages
24
Location
Mercer, Pennsylvania
We had this problem on my brothers steer a few years ago. He would bloat every couple days and we had to tube him. We called a vet and when he came out he recommended an anti-bloat block and corn oil in his feed. That steer never bloated again, but make sure you feed him in the pen with the bloat block and always just a little corn/vegetable oil as a top dressing on the feed. I honestly don't know why that works but it did for us.
 

SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
My son's steer bloated everyday last year until we put a bloat block in his pen.  It worked for us.
 

vc

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2007
Messages
1,811
Location
So-Cal
Try pulling the Alfalfa pellets out and see if that helps. We had one that did the same thing we had to feed hay first and then the grain. Try feeding some Stabilize id Rice Bran to help with the finish, Feed about a pound each feeding, we also added pro-bios twice a week to the feed.
 

LLBUX

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
697
Location
Chapin, Illinois
This steer is for grow rather than show.  We have a nice prize for the top rate of gain steer at the county fair and that is what we try for each year.    The steer is cantakerous and I hate to get him in the chute regularly for a mineral oil drench.

I will pull the alfalfa pellets and pick up a bloat block.  May try some sodium bicarb as well.

Where can a man find the stabilized rice bran in Central Illinois?

My local feed outlets(Jacksonville area) don't have it.

Thanks folks!
 

SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
Where can a man find the stabilized rice bran in Central Illinois?

My local feed outlets(Jacksonville area) don't have it.

Thanks folks!
[/quote]

I buy mine at Tractor Supply.  Max E Glo brand; it's a horse supplement.
 

roper99

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Messages
21
I had a steer that bloated a lot.  We have this powder we put on their feed and we put a bloat block in with him.  We were feeding alfalfa hay and a lot of people including Kirk Stierwalt said do not feed alfalfa for that reason.
 

kattleluver

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
72
Location
OHIO
The Bloat block should help. I'd pull the alfalfa pellets also. We have feed baking soda too. It did the trick for us but our problems haven't been a consistent issue. Pro biotics might help that is what my vet recommended.
 

BovineGirl

Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
21
I have 2 Market Steers in a pen, and the one bloats alot everytime he eats hay, we got bloat blocks for him and they licked it, but the bloat doesn't seem to go down, so we use a bloat medicine to cure it, we take a hose and put it down there throat and we let the air come up and that also cures it too, well for us it does...so hopefully this helps!
 
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