A disorder of the rumen, characterised by periods of low ruminal pH below 5.5. It is common in high producing dairy cows. Symptoms include diarrhoea, reduced rumination and undigested grain in faeces. Secondary signs include laminitis and poor body condition. Indication of SARA may be low milk fat. Causes decreased milk yields and reduced health, may result in culling.

Sub-acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA)

A disease classified as sub-acute falls between acute and chronic. It may have had a reasonably recent onset and reasonably rapid changes to the animal may have been seen.

Sub-acute

Fungi that invade animal feedstuffs during the storage period (post-harvest). They generally need less moisture than field fungi and are not a large problem before harvest. Aspergillus and Penicillium species are classed are storage fungi.

Storage fungi

Wheat planted in spring and harvested the following summer.

Spring Wheat

Female adult swine used for breeding.

Sow

Used to store grain, usually a tall tower or a pit.

Silo

Most commonly, Penicillium moulds and some Aspergillus moulds survive in silage and produce mycotoxins. Fusarium moulds usually die in the process of being ensiled. Many silage mycotoxins have antimicrobial effects on the microbes found in the rumen. These mycotoxins negatively affect the fermentation process, causes various effects such as reduced milk yield. Silage mycotoxins can also be neurotoxic and tremorgenic. Examples include penicillic acid, PR toxin and mycophenolic acid.

Silage mycotoxins

A walled area used to store silage. Made of a back wall and two side walls, no front wall to allow for the silage to be removed. The clamp is filled by depositing the silage in the clamp and rolling over it in tractors many times to compact it and prevent oxygen for entering. The silage is left to ferment and is removed gradually. Silage clamps vary in height, width and depth.

Silage clamp

Fodder that has been harvested, compacted and stored in airtight conditions in a silo or silage clamp. It undergoes a fermentation process and lactic acid, acetic acid and propionic acid are produced. Silage is commonly fed to cattle. Maize and grass silages are the most common in the UK.

Silage

An additive added to animal feedstuffs to minimise the toxicological impacts of mycotoxins to the animal and to reduce carryover of mycotoxins into the food chain for human consumption.

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