Scotland has seen a spike in grass staggers (hypomagnesemia) in beef cows according to SAC.

Experts warn that lactating cows, older cows and cows under nutritional stress are most at risk.

Grass staggers is caused by a shortage of magnesium, which is not stored in the body so a daily dietary intake is required. Poorer weather conditions could be adding to cow stress and reducing pasture covers leading to cows not eating enough. Further, lush grass in the autumn is often low in magnesium, with a high passage rate reducing absorption.

Robert Ramsay, SAC Consulting’s senior beef consultant offers these options to prevent staggers:

1 Hi-mag rolls – normally 1kg supplies a full daily magnesium requirement and these are easily fed on the ground. 1kg will also supply around 10 MJ of energy, which is important when grass supplies are short.

2 Mineralising your own cereals is cheaper but you need to account for wastage when feeding on the ground and possibility losing mineral on the ground – 100g/head of a 25% magnesium mineral required.

3 Liquid molasses fortified with magnesium – harder to regulate intakes.

4Hi-mag buckets or free-access minerals – aim around 20% mag in buckets and 25% mag for powdered minerals. Downside is you are relying on all cows taking the mineral – ensure good access to minerals/enough buckets are put out for the number of cows.

5Treating water supply – not as effective at grass, takes managing, shouldn’t be relied on.