By Liz Bawden, NODPA Board President
A young veterinarian was called to a farm to treat a calf with acute zinc deficiency. The calf’s symptoms were hair loss around the eyes, thickening and crustiness around the ears, and a general weakened immune system. MultiMin 90 was recommended by another vet and a farmer who said he had been using it with good success for several years. This injectable product supplements zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese.
One producer was puzzled by “a cow that has been regurgitating her cud and not chewing or swallowing it. She just packs her cheeks like a chipmunk and drools green juice. Eventually she'll either spit the cud out, or I'll pull it out and she'll go right back to eating. This has been going on to some degree for a week, but in the last day it's become more frequent. She's not acting weird otherwise, has had a decent amount of milk, and her rumen looks no fuller or emptier than usual.“ Other farmers suggested that it may be a bad tooth; it will fall out, leaving her fine to eat and chew again normally.
A milk cow had experienced an injury that left her with a deep gash on her flank. The farmer diligently kept the wound clean and as free of flies as possible. To keep the wound from drying out, it was recommended to use a product like Dy’s Liquid Bandage.
There were some long discussions on the possibilities and pitfalls of moving to grassfed markets to try to attain a better pay price. And although there seems to be strong organic sales in retail stores due to changes in consumer buying habits (families working from home, eating out less), it is uncertain how long it will last.
