Kentucky ranchers are recovering from the worst tornado in state history. The December storm dumped debris onto pastures where cattle graze, which can be harmful to livestock. It can cause “Hardware Disease” and a University of Kentucky Cattle Specialist says it’s on their radar.
“Hardware disease is what happens when cattle consume metal debris, whether that’s a nail or a piece of wire and what happens is that metal irritates the lining of the GI tract. It can also puncture through the lining of that GI tract and it just causes inflammation and infection.”
Unfortunately, there aren’t any good treatments for Hardware Disease, but prevention is the best tool, and the only way to stop it is to scour a field on foot, inch by inch. The University says farmers are helping each other out with this task.
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