08/06/2026
Hi everyone, please be cautious at the moment as nitrate levels are high. 🍀
Nitrate poisoning in cows happens when they eat feed with high nitrate levels, often in late autumn or winter. Nitrate transforms to nitrite in the cow's rumen and binds to haemoglobin in the blood, stopping it from carrying oxygen, which can lead to rapid death.
Symptoms
🐄 Staggering (like they are drunk) due to lack of oxygen to the brain.
🐄 Muscle tremors.
🐄 Rapid fast breathing (basically a reflex to try and get more oxygen).
🐄 Cows may salivate and froth at the mouth.
Bluish/chocolate brown colour of the mucous membranes.
🐄 A cow can consume a toxic amount of nitrate in one hour, and will start to show signs very soon after.
Reducing risk
🐄 Avoid putting hungry stock onto risk feed; give them some safe feed such as hay or silage first.
🐄 Check the animals 1-2 hours after you put them on a new break.
🐄 Check after each new break not just the first break of a paddock.
Cases of poisoning have been reported on the 3rd or 4th break of a paddock after no sign of trouble on the earlier breaks.
Acute nitrate poisoning symptoms will show within an hour or two of eating nitrates. Monitor stock and call a veterinarian at the first signs of trouble.
🐄 Feed risk crop late in afternoon as sunshine will reduce nitrate levels.
Wilting high nitrate pasture before grazing will not reduce nitrate levels.
Making silage will not drop nitrate levels, but may be a way to manage high nitrate pasture that needs to be grazed.
If you have any questions or concerns please give us a call.
Thanks team 🐄
