BLOAT INVESTIGATIONS: I. REDUCTION OF BLOAT INCIDENCE IN DAIRY CATTLE WITH PENICILLIN AND ANTIFOAMING AGENTS

Lactating Jersey cows fed alfalfa soilage received bloat preventive treatments rotated over groups of animals in a Latin square design. Eight trials involving observations over 2260 cow days were conducted during a 4-year period.Penicillin (75 and 100 mg) by capsule reduced bloat incidence by an average of 80%. Effectiveness of penicillin was not increased by mineral oil (4 oz) drench.Mineral oil (8 oz) by drench and emulsified mineral oil (4 oz) mixed with soilage were equal to penicillin. Mineral oil (4 oz) by drench was ineffective.Tallow (4, 8, and 12 oz) mixed with soilage was effective whereas tallow (4 and 8 oz) as a drench was not effective. Tallow and peanut oil (4 oz) in emulsified form on soilage were effective and comparable to penicillin.Antifoam E.F. Emulsion (1.4 oz) by capsule, methyl silicone (3 oz) by capsule, turpentine (1.5 oz) drench, and monosodium phosphate (7 oz) drench were ineffective.The most effective preventive treatments investigated here would not prevent all animal losses. However these preventives may be useful in reducing losses where close animal supervision cannot be practised and/or where therapy of bloated animals is inconvenient or dangerous.