The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Grass tetany is a metabolic disease of cattle associated with grazing lush, green pasture. The condition is caused by low blood concentrations of magnesium, which is a required mineral for cattle. When pastures are growing rapidly in the spring, grass may not contain adequate amounts of magnesium to meet requirements. High potassium and crude protein concentrations found in rapidly growing forage complicate the grass tetany issue by interfering with the absorption of magnesium from the rumen.

Magnesium requirements increase during lactation, so lactating cows have increased risk of develop...