Cow magnet

A cage magnet is also referred to as a cow magnet or Kuhmagenmagnet is a strong magnet is used for the prevention of foreign matter disease in cattle. For this purpose, it is inserted into the reticulum of cattle, where he metallic foreign bodies that have fallen in the digestive system on feed intake, binds, so that they can not injure the gastric wall in the forestomach contractions.

Background

Cattle naturally take on large amounts of food. Unlike sheep and goats they are only slightly selective in food intake. Taken with the feed -metallic foreign bodies such as nails, pieces of wire, chips and chipped parts of agricultural machines are abgeschluckt of the animals often. Heavy foreign objects out there, its weight in the stomach below the input ( the cardia ) lying reticulum ( hood ), which is almost completely contracts under the hood rumen contraction. This can lead to a perforation of the stomach wall by sharp foreign bodies that violate the surrounding internal organs and can cause inflammation. The cow loses her appetite in the sequence, thus producing less milk or too little increases their weight at the mast. The magnetic cage is a very effective preventive measure against internal injuries due to ingested foreign bodies.

Construction

The cage magnet was developed in 1963 by Matthew Stober at the Veterinary College. Up to then, especially in the United States about simple finger-thick permanent magnet in use, which had the disadvantage that elongated foreign body magnets protrude hedgehog -like and thus continue to cause injury.

Developed by Stöber model cattle clinic Hannover consists of an approximately 15 -centimeter-long metal rod made ​​of ferrite or alnico magnet material with a diameter of about 3 cm, which is surrounded by a cage of plastic. The cage has come to the side openings of the metal parts which are attracted by the magnet, in that the interior of the cage. There they are held by magnets, so they can not cause injury to the stomach wall more.

Application

The cage magnet is introduced by means of an applicator into the throat of the cow and passes through its weight in the reticulum. The correct placement of the magnet should be checked with a metal detector or a compass, as it can get, in rare cases, in the rumen, where he offers no protection against injury hood.

The cage magnet remains until death of the animal in the reticulum. However, nearly 4 % of the administered cage magnets are lost because they are transported during rumination along with the mash from the stomach.