Hardware disease, caused by swallowed metal objects, is a preventable cause of serious welfare harm in cattle that can be largely eliminated through simple management.
Hardware disease causes significant acute pain from penetration of the reticulum and associated peritonitis. Cows show a characteristic hunched posture and pain response to pressure over the xiphoid region. Without treatment, peritonitis progresses, causing chronic debilitating illness, adhesions, and reduced welfare over weeks or months. The preventability of hardware disease is particularly significant from a welfare perspective - administration of a rumen magnet at the start of a cow's productive life is cheap, safe, and highly effective at preventing this entirely avoidable welfare harm. On farms with high hardware disease incidence, pasture and feed management to remove metal debris is also important.