Winter hay worries | Beef Magazine

Grass tetany and nitrate poisoning are issues that we typically associate with animals grazing.  However, both issues can be a problem in winter when animal diets are limited by what they are fed.  Is your herd safe from possible hay worries?
 
Tetany occurs when an animal’s diet doesn’t have enough magnesium to meet nutritional needs.  Complications with milk production and increased magnesium demand can make this imbalance even worse during lactation. 
 
Grass, alfalfa, and cereal grains harvested for hay can all be low in magnesium. Getting a hay test with mineral analysis can…