Beef Cattle Mythbuster

Myth: The mystique of “water belly”.

Here’s one that is especially relevant for our youth producers and their animals for the fair.

I think most cattle producers who have been around the business for a good while will agree that when you think you have about seen it all, eventually you will get a big surprise. Such is the case with “water belly.”

First, let’s point out here that this is not a condition that you are likely to see in your cow herd and those animals on a strictly forage-based diet. However, this column will focus on producers that might be feeding some grains (corn, barley, oats,...