New Dealer

 

Molds & Mycotoxins

This has been a unique & difficult growing season to say the least, not only are producers faced with high priced & limited amounts of feed, but there are now reports of some molds within the crop as well. Signs of mold include dustiness, caking of feed, poor feed flow out of bin, refusal by animals, moldy, and lower  reproduction. This summer has been perfect breeding grounds for mold with   water stress, high temperature, & insect damage. The by-product of mold called Mycotoxins are toxins produced by organisms as fungi, including mushrooms, yeasts & molds that can occur in grain, hay, silage, pasture & by-products. Mold growth can also rob grains of their fat, protein & vitamin content, and lead to nutritional deficiencies in livestock. DO NOT feed moldy grain nor hay. Make sure your feed is dried & stored properly until fed to horses. Mycotoxins are nothing new in the swine, poultry & ruminant markets, but little is know about the affects in horses. These toxins can cause a wide range of clinical signs in horses, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological & reproduction problems.