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Post by katherine on Mar 6, 2013 21:35:30 GMT -3
I read a post recently about a girl who lost several of her horses the past few days due to botulism. I hadn't heard of it before, but did some research just out of curiosity (and because I don't want to write my annotated bibliography for school). It was easy to find information on botulism in humans and how it is contracted, but all I could find was a little blurb about how it's almost always fatal in horses and cattle.
I know that it commonly comes from spoiled haylage which allow the bacterium to grow. However, they mentioned that the cause was not due to the haylage. While I couldn't find anything online, does anyone have more information on the causes of botulism?
As heartbreaking as it is, it is always good to know more about the health of your horse.
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Post by oxmaybesoxo on Mar 7, 2013 11:19:35 GMT -3
I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure what happens is a animal (mouse/bird/rat) gets tangles in the hayledge as its being wrapped. As the animal decays inside the wrapped bail its releases bacteria that the horses eat that causes botulism. There is a vacc that the vet recommends for all horses who get hayledge.
I don't personally feed hayledge so this is just what I've learned from other people!
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Post by Becca on Mar 7, 2013 11:32:24 GMT -3
They had a bad case a good few years ago so a huge panic about it broke out. It's basically contaminated hayledge (through either cause but most cases a mouse that thinks a round bale is warm for winter gets stuck), just like any rotten food if you eat it you'll get sick. It's super leathal but Its up to the barn manager, workers & owners to be watching what the horse is eating. You dont feed moudly hay, so It's preventable. This is why it's so important to keep your round bales when wrapped hole free, and keep it from getting super hot or wet as well.
I feel bad that she lost so many horses, it doesn't seem to be a great year so far.
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Post by katherine on Mar 7, 2013 12:05:21 GMT -3
It's such a big loss to lose even one horse, let alone as many as she is losing. I can't imagine.
Someone also mentioned that it can occur in regular hay as well as hayledge, but it is less likely. There are so many ways that a horse can get sick or injured, no matter how hard you try.
Does hayledge contaminated with botulism bacteria have a certain look or smell?
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Post by alida on Mar 7, 2013 12:29:54 GMT -3
Not surprised. This am I found 1/2 chicken in a square bale this am.
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Post by oxmaybesoxo on Mar 7, 2013 13:40:03 GMT -3
Does anyone know anything about the botulism vacc? Is it very affective?
Also, from reading this, it seems there is more risks invovled in feeding hayledge verus square bales. Is that true?
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Post by Rodeo on Mar 7, 2013 16:36:46 GMT -3
There is more risk, but when as long as you are careful, you should be fine. Make sure its clean and mold free. I've never had a problem with any of the round bales I've fed. I've never heard of Aiden having any problems, and I don't think Katrina has had any problems but don't quote me on that one.
I believe Equine might feed round bales, and I know Dixie H does or used to. I'm not real familiar with the folks there, but I've never read anything about hay problems at those barns.
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Post by katherine on Mar 7, 2013 17:10:13 GMT -3
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Post by Rodeo on Mar 7, 2013 18:46:17 GMT -3
Yep, but most of the round bales here are haylage or silage (spl).
I'm not sure about Aiden's though. His round bales are usually nice and dry for the most part. But the bales you get from dairy farms (Katrina's, Equine's, sometimes myself) are indeed higher in moisture. But there's no problem in telling what's good and gone bad. They smell great when you open them. Like fresh grass. But with those bales you need to use them up quickly.
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Enixam
Level 2
'Cowgirls don't cry, ride baby ride.'
Posts: 244
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Post by Enixam on Mar 8, 2013 0:02:22 GMT -3
I believe in the post shes talking about, this lady that lost her horses, one was pregnant and another pregnant one is sick also, and they domt give her 24 hours
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Post by Jacqueline Pike on Mar 8, 2013 12:00:09 GMT -3
When Josh was sick a few years ago we first thought he had botulism. When i researched it the reason it is more likely to happen when feeding round bales is because they are wrapped and the moisture is kept inside the bale so if a rodent gets tangled in the hay it will decay different than it would in a square bale that is drier and not wrapped.
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Post by katherine on Mar 8, 2013 13:12:00 GMT -3
Jacqueline - That's exactly what I learned from my research as well. Things decay differently when the bale is wrapped because it stays warmer and more moist. However, it's just as bad to have a round bale that was exposed to the environment and goes mouldy! Damned if you do, damned if you don't! I suppose the lesson is to always examine what you are feeding, but things can go wrong no matter what.
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Post by oxmaybesoxo on Mar 8, 2013 22:40:56 GMT -3
I feed square bales but have always been interested in learning more about hayledge! I know last year getting sqaure bales was tricky are there more halyege growers in NL then square? Or about are they about even?
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Post by charismatic on Mar 8, 2013 23:19:51 GMT -3
She lost two already and a third mare is sick. That mare is in foal and they are doing donations for her atm TO get treatment over at AVC.
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Enixam
Level 2
'Cowgirls don't cry, ride baby ride.'
Posts: 244
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Post by Enixam on Mar 10, 2013 1:40:26 GMT -3
Also, another filly of her is showing mild signs, the mare in foal was admitted to the vet, and te filly is near by incase something arises.
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