{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Cattle Care In Winter: Avoid Feeding These Harmful Things To Animals",
  "summary": "With the onset of winter, livestock owners must pay special attention to animal health and nutrition as dropping temperatures can affect digestion. Experts advise against feeding spoiled fodder, excess dew-soaked grass, and over-feeding concentrates.",
  "content": "As the winter season begins, livestock owners need to pay special attention to the health and diet of their animals. Due to lower temperatures during the cold months, the digestive capacity, immunity, and overall health of animals can be adversely affected. While providing a balanced and nutritious diet is crucial during this time, avoiding certain food items is equally important. Often, due to a lack of proper knowledge, owners end up feeding fodder or food materials that can lead to gastrointestinal disorders and other health complications in cattle.\n\n \n\nAvoid Spoiled And Moldy Fodder\n\nVeterinarian Vishal Prajapati stated that livestock owners should never feed rotten, foul-smelling, or moldy fodder to animals during the winter season. Such fodder may contain harmful bacteria and toxic mold elements that can severely damage the health of the animals. This can cause diarrhea, indigestion, and other digestive troubles in cattle. Therefore, animals should always be provided with clean and fresh fodder.\n\n \n\nBe Cautious With Dew-Soaked Fodder\n\nDuring winter mornings, grass and green fodder in the fields remain covered with dew. Under such conditions, feeding heavily dew-soaked or wet fodder to animals should be avoided. Especially if the fodder is contaminated with soil or dirt, it must not be given to animals without proper cleaning. Keeping the fodder in the sun for some time before feeding is considered a better practice.\n\n \n\nMaintain Balance In Green Fodder And Concentrates\n\nMany livestock owners start giving large quantities of green fodder to animals during winter. Although nutritious green fodder is beneficial, suddenly increasing its quantity can disrupt the digestive system, leading to issues like bloating and indigestion. Therefore, the amount of green fodder should be increased gradually and fed in balanced proportions along with dry fodder. Furthermore, feeding excessive amounts of concentrates, bran, and oilcakes in an attempt to increase milk production can prove harmful and cause acidity or indigestion.\n\n \n\nProvide Clean And Lukewarm Water\n\nGiving excessively cold or dirty water to animals during winter should be strictly avoided. It is much better to provide clean, room-temperature, or slightly lukewarm water. Regular cleaning of water troughs is also necessary to prevent the accumulation of dirt and harmful bacteria. Ensure that animals are given adequate amounts of water regularly.\n\n \n\nMaintain Special Care In Animal Diet\n\nLivestock owners must feed a balanced diet to their animals in winter while avoiding spoiled grains, rotten chaff, contaminated food items, and fodder left open for long periods. Properly include green fodder, dry fodder, concentrates, and essential minerals in the animal diet. If an animal reduces its feed intake, starts bloating, or shows any unusual changes in health, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately. Proper nutrition and regular care can keep animals healthy throughout the winter season.\n\nWhat this means for you\nNeglecting animal nutrition during the winter season can lead to a drop in milk production and make livestock vulnerable to severe health complications.\n\n• Across India: Livestock owners nationwide should protect their animal productivity by providing mold-free fodder and lukewarm water throughout the winter months.\n• In Nagour: Local farmers must avoid feeding dew-soaked grass from the fields in the morning to protect their cattle from indigestion and bloating.\n• Milk Production: Overfeeding concentrates and oilcakes can trigger acidity in animals, which directly impacts their daily milk-yielding capacity.\n• Health Security: Consuming contaminated or rotten fodder can cause diarrhea and severe digestive illnesses in cattle, requiring timely medical attention.\n• Veterinary Advice: Contact a doctor immediately if animals reduce their feed intake or show lethargy to prevent infections at an early stage.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe quality of fodder is severely impacted during winter due to sharp temperature drops and frost, which easily disrupts the sensitive digestive system of cattle.\n\n• Temperature Impact: Increased cold puts pressure on the metabolic processes and immunity of livestock, making them highly vulnerable to poor nutrition.\n• Moisture And Mold: Winter humidity and morning dew promote the growth of mold and harmful bacteria on open fodder, triggering gastrointestinal diseases.\n• Digestive Limits: Suddenly increasing green fodder or heavy concentrates disrupts the natural rumen fermentation process, causing gas and indigestion in animals.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Livestock should never be fed rotten, foul-smelling, or moldy fodder during the winter season.\nLivestock should never be fed rotten, foul-smelling, or moldy fodder during the winter season.\n\n2. What harm can dew-soaked grass from fields cause in the morning?\nFeeding dew-soaked and soil-contaminated fodder can cause digestive problems and illnesses in animals.\n\n3. What type of water should be given to animals during winter?\nInstead of very cold or dirty water, animals should be provided with clean, room-temperature, or slightly lukewarm water.\n\n4. What happens when green fodder is suddenly increased in large amounts?\nSuddenly increasing green fodder affects the animal's digestive system and can cause bloating and indigestion.\n\n5. What is the main cause of acidity and indigestion in cattle?\nFeeding excessive concentrates, bran, and oilcakes in an attempt to boost milk production can cause acidity in the stomach.\n\n6. What step should be taken if an animal falls sick?\nA veterinarian should be contacted immediately if the animal reduces its feed intake or shows abnormal health changes.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/sardiyon-men-pashuon-ki-sehata-ka-rakhen-khasa-khyala-ina-chijon-ko-khilane-se-bachen-59316",
  "category": "Rajasthan",
  "publishedAt": "2026-11-13",
  "tags": [
    "Animal Husbandry",
    "Winter Cattle Care",
    "Animal Diet",
    "Livestock Health",
    "Agriculture News"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia",
  "whatItMeansForYou": "Neglecting animal nutrition during the winter season can lead to a drop in milk production and make livestock vulnerable to severe health complications.\n\n• Across India: Livestock owners nationwide should protect their animal productivity by providing mold-free fodder and lukewarm water throughout the winter months.\n• In Nagour: Local farmers must avoid feeding dew-soaked grass from the fields in the morning to protect their cattle from indigestion and bloating.\n• Milk Production: Overfeeding concentrates and oilcakes can trigger acidity in animals, which directly impacts their daily milk-yielding capacity.\n• Health Security: Consuming contaminated or rotten fodder can cause diarrhea and severe digestive illnesses in cattle, requiring timely medical attention.\n• Veterinary Advice: Contact a doctor immediately if animals reduce their feed intake or show lethargy to prevent infections at an early stage.",
  "whyItHappened": "The quality of fodder is severely impacted during winter due to sharp temperature drops and frost, which easily disrupts the sensitive digestive system of cattle.\n\n• Temperature Impact: Increased cold puts pressure on the metabolic processes and immunity of livestock, making them highly vulnerable to poor nutrition.\n• Moisture And Mold: Winter humidity and morning dew promote the growth of mold and harmful bacteria on open fodder, triggering gastrointestinal diseases.\n• Digestive Limits: Suddenly increasing green fodder or heavy concentrates disrupts the natural rumen fermentation process, causing gas and indigestion in animals.",
  "questionsAndAnswers": [
    {
      "question": "Livestock should never be fed rotten, foul-smelling, or moldy fodder during the winter season.",
      "answer": "Livestock should never be fed rotten, foul-smelling, or moldy fodder during the winter season."
    },
    {
      "question": "What harm can dew-soaked grass from fields cause in the morning?",
      "answer": "Feeding dew-soaked and soil-contaminated fodder can cause digestive problems and illnesses in animals."
    },
    {
      "question": "What type of water should be given to animals during winter?",
      "answer": "Instead of very cold or dirty water, animals should be provided with clean, room-temperature, or slightly lukewarm water."
    },
    {
      "question": "What happens when green fodder is suddenly increased in large amounts?",
      "answer": "Suddenly increasing green fodder affects the animal's digestive system and can cause bloating and indigestion."
    },
    {
      "question": "What is the main cause of acidity and indigestion in cattle?",
      "answer": "Feeding excessive concentrates, bran, and oilcakes in an attempt to boost milk production can cause acidity in the stomach."
    },
    {
      "question": "What step should be taken if an animal falls sick?",
      "answer": "A veterinarian should be contacted immediately if the animal reduces its feed intake or shows abnormal health changes."
    }
  ]
}