Digestive Health
Cows & Buffaloes
Simple Indigestion — The Off-Feed Day and How to Read It
Updated 26 Aug 2026 • By Falah Nutrition Desk, Animal Nutrition Advisor
Every shed knows the day: an animal eats little, chews no cud, dung goes odd — and by tomorrow or the day after she's herself again. Simple indigestion is the rumen's version of an upset stomach, usually self-inflicted through feeding slips. The skill is supporting it — and knowing when it isn't simple.
Common Signs
- Reduced appetite and noticeably less cud chewing for a day or two
- Dung firmer or looser than usual, sometimes with undigested feed visible
- Mild dullness but still alert, temperature normal
- Rumen movements on the left flank slower or quieter than usual
- Modest milk dip that recovers with appetite
Possible Causes
- A sudden feed change made overnight instead of gradually
- One-time overeating — a raided feed store, a double concentrate feed
- Spoiled or frosted feed: sour leftovers, mouldy corner of a bale, icy fodder
- Erratic feeding times disturbing the rumen's rhythm
- Low water intake (frozen or dirty water) stiffening the whole system
What the Farmer Should Check
- What changed in the last 48 hours — feed, quantity, timing, water?
- Is temperature normal? Fever points beyond simple indigestion
- Any pain signs (grunting, tucked posture)? Pain suggests something more
- Is she drinking, and is the water clean and unfrozen?
- Are rumen movements present, even if slow?
Feed Guidance
Give the rumen a light day, not a starved one: free access to good dry fodder (the gentlest thing a rumen knows), cut concentrate to half or less for a day, ensure plenty of lukewarm water, and let her rest. A bland bran mash is a fine bridge meal. As appetite returns, rebuild concentrate gradually over two or three days rather than compensating with a double feed — and fix the cause you found, whether that's transition discipline, locked feed stores or feeding times. If her cud, appetite and dung aren't clearly mending within a day or two, stop calling it simple — that's the doctor's cue.
Relevant GOKA Products
Dairy Cows & Buffaloes
Under 15 liters/day
Best when green fodder is scarce
Dairy Cows & Buffaloes
10-15 liters/day
Maintains milk fat, prevents repeat breeding
When to Contact a Veterinary Doctor
Fever, pain, bloat, complete refusal of feed and water, or no improvement within about 48 hours means this is not simple indigestion — involve your veterinary doctor.
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