Summer’s heat brings with it plenty of challenges for dairies. Among them: it’s a favorite time of the year for molds and mycotoxins, according to Ben Pamp and Jodie Myers with Provimi Tech Services.
In a recently published newsletter, the pair said monitoring feedstuffs for toxins at feed out is critical for early and accurate detection. When mycotoxins are found, they require swift attention.
“Different mycotoxins will call for different approaches,” they noted. For example, binders sometimes can be added to feed to target and deactivate specific mycotoxins.
To mitigate the effects of mycotoxins without discarding the feed altogether, they suggested:
- Avoid feeding contaminated feed to high-risk animals like youngstock, stressed animals, or dry cows.
- Dilute contaminated feeds as much as possible.
- Support the immune system with gut-health additives such as yeast and antioxidants.
- Feed a binder when aflatoxins are present.
- Inhibit yeast and mold growth with a three-acid additive blend of acetic, benzoic, and propionic acids.
- Examine cropping techniques to prevent mycotoxin proliferation in the next year’s crop.
“In our experience, a combination of feed management, immune support, inoculants, along with a future prevention plan, offers the most protection to cow health and production,” Pamp and Myers wrote.
Provimi offers a printable table of common mycotoxins in dairy feeds here.
