# Effects of plastic twine swallowed by cattle?



## vhaby

A couple of weeks ago a two-year old cow swallowed an estimated 16 ft of plastic twine- the circmference of a round bale. Couldn't get close enough to her to grab the twine and pull it out. So far she appears normal. What are your experiences with this situation?


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## urednecku

_So far,_ I've not had any problems. I don't know if any of mine have swallowed any, but I have heard of cattle choking on it.

That said, 2 Decembers ago I lost a bull, his 3rd stomach was blocked where it went into the small intestine. No idea what blocked it, I was on my way to work when the vet showed up to see why he died. He didn't look to see what blocked it, but the small intestine was empty, and that stomach was about the size of a basketball.

If it's been 2 weeks, I'm guessing she's already passed it.


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## Nitram

Sometimes they will spit it out while chewing cud. I try to get all but sometimes we miss one...found one last weekin a chewed up slimy ball. Martin


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## Tim/South

I had one eat a loaf of bread, wrapper and all. No visible ill effects.
We have been buying some hay to get through this long winter. It is string. After using net I had forgotten how hard it was to get every string.


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## Nitram

Tim/South said:


> After using net I had forgotten how hard it was to get every string.


"It's a gift" I've also found out with the auto tie it is best not to feed too much hay in after the arms go out to tie. The string gets hidden in the bale.


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## prairie

I don't allow plastic twine wrapped hay on the place! EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm still finding plastic twine that is 30+ years old on this farm.
It gets wrapped up around all kinds of field equipment, and my custom farmers don't like it.
We have only had less than one truck load of bio-degradable plastic wrapped hay fed on this place about 10 years ago, and we are still finding it around. We thought we removed and disposed of almost all of it, but i don't think that is possible,
I generally unroll bales behind the pickup. I just cut the sisal twine and don't bother to gather it, and it has never been a problem.


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## swmnhay

It's a area thing.99% of the bales here are made with net wrap or plastic twine.I take it off religiously when feeding or bedding so I don't have to deal with it later in spreader,etc.I've talked it over with the Vet and he said no issues with ground net but if a cow ate the entire wrap off a round bale it could be issue with netwrap.Yet you see some guys not takeing it off. WHY?? I wouldn't worry about a 16' piece of twine.


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## Texasmark

Have had several instances of plastic shopping bags clogging up calves resulting in loss around the area...coffee shop gossip. There is a ranching operation nearby that feeds probably 200 large rolls a year. In 30 years, never saw them remove nor pickup twine. Never saw a dead animal either.

I always remove my net or string as I don't want to worry about the "what if" part of the puzzle. I need everyone that is on and comes on this place so I take no chances.

Mark


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## urednecku

> I always remove my net or string as I don't want to worry about the "what if" part of the puzzle. I need everyone that is on and comes on this place so I take no chances.


I'll second that. Not to mention having it wrap up in the bush-hog, or on any other axle or equipment I might pull thru the pasture. And it just looks bad.


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## swmnhay

I know a guy that lost a calf from eating baby diapers.He had a burn pit and the cattle found unburt diaper and clogged it up.They posted it and found it.I don't recall if it was 1 or more??


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## Nitram

swmnhay said:


> I know a guy that lost a calf from eating baby diapers.He had a burn pit and the cattle found unburt diaper and clogged it up.They posted it and found it.I don't recall if it was 1 or more??


That would be the sh!ts!.... dear lord forgive me but I had to say it.
.


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## deadmoose

After spending all winter and spring (hopefully not too much longer) feeding the hay I baled I have a question? I used plastic twine. I am thinking the past couple of years all my hay fed had sisal. There are other factors and no side by side comparison, but I am wondering if memory is correct: For outside stored frozen rained on snowed on frozen round bales is sisal easier to remove? I know the few bales of net wrapped were by far my favorite but am wondering if sisal will save me time pulling twine?


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## prairie

I only allow sisal twine on my property. Whether I unroll bales behind the pickup or grind them through the bale processor, I don't remove sisal twine. When feeding in bale feeders, I try to remove all the twine, but just let it drop on the ground to disappear.
Seldom have problems with loose twine, it just rots away.
The bad thing about sisal twine is if you carry hay over to the next year you will have some broken twines, which makes it sloppy to handle and feed. Keep your pitch fork handy.


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## Tim/South

deadmoose said:


> After spending all winter and spring (hopefully not too much longer) feeding the hay I baled I have a question? I used plastic twine. I am thinking the past couple of years all my hay fed had sisal. There are other factors and no side by side comparison, but I am wondering if memory is correct: For outside stored frozen rained on snowed on frozen round bales is sisal easier to remove? I know the few bales of net wrapped were by far my favorite but am wondering if sisal will save me time pulling twine?


The sisal will rot if the bale is on the ground. I had the bottom of the wraps dissolve on some rounds stored under a roof. Those were the bales on the ground.
I agree with net being the best. We do not have snow or freezing weather here. Some members here dislike net in areas with long hard freezes and snow if the hay is stored outside.


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## prairie

I stack my hay with a row on end and a row on top of them on there side, butted end to end. I have found this to be the best stacking/storage method for round bales. I have found that it has at least the same, and probably less waste than other stacking methods.
It is very important to get the top row centered on the bottom row to have them shed the most water and minimize waste on the bottom row. I get _*MUCH*_ less waste stacking this way than setting them butted end to end in a row. basically no broken twines the first year, and about 50% broken twines on the top row the second year, and few if any broken twines on the bottom row through year two. The farther west you go from me the better this stacking method will work. Farther east in higher rainfall areas I'm guessing covered storage is probably the only proper method.
It also makes a difference on how much twine you put on, don't be stingy. My custom balers are instructed to switch to sisal twine when they arrive at my fields, and change their wrap pattern to about 3-4" apart. For small grain hay no more than 3" apart.


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