Efficacy of water-soluble feed supplements for the prevention of bloat in cattle

Alfalfa herbage at the vegetative to early bud stage of growth was simultaneously fed to cattle with or without water-soluble feed supplements in drinking water. Yucca and Quebracho were ineffective in the prevention of frothy bloat. A surfactant component of the commercially available Alfasure™ was completely effective, as was Alfasure™ itself, either in drinking water (0.05%) or as a top-dressing. Key words: Steers, frothy bloat, Medicago sativa L., feed supplements, Alfasure™