![]() Magnet administration poses an extremely low risk to animals’ welfare as literature data indicate that trauma following oral administration of a magnet is rare. For example, studies on dairy farms in Quebec have shown that animals which have a magnet inside them are half as likely to be diagnosed with a disorder caused by the presence of foreign bodies as animals without a magnet. These devices have been proven to be effective. By attracting and trapping metal fragments, the magnets stop them migrating and causing injury to fragile organs, such as the heart or diaphragm. Magnets of a few centimetres in length are placed in the cow's stomach via oral administration. To prevent the occurrence of serious injury, cattle farmers quite often use magnets. Particular attention should also be paid to the maintenance of fences and hedges, as well as building sites around cattle farms, to ensure than no metal fragments are left behind. Recommendations include avoiding the use of old tyres to secure tarpaulins over fodder and installing electromagnets on farming equipment used for feeding to attract ferromagnetic objects. Experts have issued recommendations to avoid the presence of metal fragments in the cows’ environment. The first step to avoid injury from ingestion of foreign bodies is to act at the source. For example, pieces of fencing that have fallen off may be picked up along with the cut grass, and wire from old tyres may fall into the silage.” Best practices to reduce exposure of cows to metal fragments Using mechanised methods to bring fodder in from outside tends to “concentrate metal fragments” in the distributed feed, which does not happen when animals spend more time grazing outdoors. “ All types of livestock farming are affected, whether indoors or outdoors, but counter-intuitively, cows living indoors seem to be more exposed than those grazing outdoors,” says Charlotte Dunoyer, head of the Unit for the assessment of risks related to animal health, nutrition and welfare. Objects from activities around the farm are the most likely origin, such as metal components of old tyres used for securing tarpaulins over fodder or silage, bits of fencing broken off when cutting hedges, and waste from building sites. The foreign bodies most commonly found in the stomachs of cows are wires of a few centimetres in length, followed by nails. Metal objects are the foreign bodies most commonly found in cow stomachs Taken together, these figures account for approximately 0.6% of the French cattle population. The foreign bodies and associated injury also cause the death of approximately 29,000 cattle per year on farms. Each year, approximately 30,000 carcasses have to be totally or partially excluded from consumption due to injury caused by ingestion. In a small number of cases, the ingestion of foreign bodies can cause pain and severe injury. The presence of foreign bodies in the stomachs of cows is linked to on-farm activities and has highly variable consequences on their health and welfare. ![]() With a cattle population of over 10 million, this estimate provides an idea of the extent of the problem. Based on data collected in slaughterhouses, during autopsies and on farms, as well as data in the scientific literature, the ANSES working group estimated that in France at least 7 to 20% of cattle are reported to ingest metal foreign bodies.
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