Last month we sent out an article “Watch for Wheat Pasture Bloat”. Since then we have been getting reports of bloat in calves grazing wheat and other small grain pastures. Growing conditions improved for these pastures that have been grazed short all winter with regrowth that is all highly digestible leaf. We have also had some late winter frost events that can damage the cell walls in the new growth, releasing the cell contents for rapid availability in the rumen. These plant fractions are the most bloat provocative and can very quickly cause bloat in grazing calves.
