Mycotoxin management should be a priority for every farmer and feed producer
Mycotoxins are everywhere, and mycotoxin contamination can affect even the most well-run farms.
For anyone less familiar with mycotoxins, they can be present in your feeds or forages in many forms, from visual moulds, fungi or colour changes on the feed face to being totally invisible. Every year, Alltech samples thousands of feed samples throughout the world and finds that even visibly clean feed samples (with no visible mould) can have an unexpectedly high level of mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins will be produced when a mould comes under stress. Generally, we associate mycotoxins with quite mouldy feedstuffs. However, we can have situations with feedstuffs where they have low levels of mould — or indeed no visible mould — but contain large quantities of mycotoxins. Which is something I see on farm more often than not.
Animals that are exposed to mycotoxins can exhibit just one symptom of contamination or several. Mycotoxins can reduce an animal’s appetite, gut integrity and rumen function, decreasing its ability to absorb nutrients from its feed and resulting in performance losses.
Other symptoms can include reduced or fluctuating milk yield, poor milk solids, or decreased daily live weight gain(DLWG). Fluctuating forage intakes, variable dung consistency across a batch of animals, or loose dung consistency can also be signs of mycotoxin contamination.
Additionally, mycotoxins suppress the immune system, which can lead to multiple issues such as;swollen hocks, lameness, rough coats and cell count problems. Cell count issues can vary from a raised SCC to increased cases of mastitis or incidence of E. coli mastitis.
Fertility problems can also occur when mycotoxins are present and can include irregular heats, cysts, lower conception rates and abortions. Some mycotoxins can even damage the liver and kidneys and cause internal haemorrhaging and muscle tremors.
Given the scale of the mycotoxin challenge now unfolding in Northern Ireland, I would strongly advise all dairy farmers to include a proven binder such as Mycosorb A + ® at a preventative rate in all diets. If this approach is not taken and a mycotoxin problem does exist, the scale of the ensuing animal health problems may well be significant.
Mycosorb A + is a binder based on a specific strain of yeast. It is a broad-spectrum binder that tackles mycotoxins as a whole, rather than dealing with them individually. As it is a yeast-based binder, it will bind more efficiently to a greater range of mycotoxins, reducing mycotoxin absorption without affecting vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are an expensive part of any diet, and by incorporating Mycosorb A + , we are ensuring the supply of
these to your animals while managing the significant threat of mycotoxins.
Mycosorb A + meets all the criteria necessary when considering adding a mycotoxin binder to your feed, such as:
- Proven by independent research
- A low effective inclusion rate
- Stability over a wide pH (essential for ensuring the mycotoxin stays attached to the binder throughout the gut and is then excreted)
- Ability to absorb a high capacity and broad spectrum of mycotoxins
- Ability to react rapidly within the animal
If you would like more information on carrying out a mycotoxin assessment, or to find out more about Mycosorb A + , contact Aislínn Campbell on 07864245966.