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High risk of mycotoxins from Canadian grain

Analysis of Canadian grain by a livestock nutrition company indicates a high risk of mycotoxins in total mixed rations (TMR), dried distillers grains (DDG’s) and silage.

Alltech nutritionist Dr. Max Hawkins says plant stress to corn, spring wheat, barley and triticale during the 2016 growing season allowed soil-borne diseases to spread.

“The prevalent mycotoxin is DON, and there’s also a significant amount of ergot.  And the level of that DON makes it relatively high risk, and ergot can also be at high risk depending on what you’re going to feed it to.”

The 2016 Alltech Canada harvest analysis tested 45 TMR samples from across the country, with Type B mycotoxins present in 80 percent of those.

Hawkins suggests livestock producers take a proactive approach.

“They need to do some testing, so they know the exact level of toxins that we’re dealing with.  It’s not bad everywhere (and) it’s not bad everywhere.  And just because you have some neighbor that says they had a sample at a low risk, that really doesn’t mean anything to you because you don’t have to go very far before it can change from a low to a high risk.”

Hawkins also recommends checking stored feed regularly and watching animals for signs of problems.

 

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