Mycotoxins In Maize

Maize can be an excellent forage for dairy cows. It is high in energy, while slowly fermentable and containing enough fibre to maintain rumen health. It is very palatable and encourages good feed intakes. However, it can be a difficult forage to store and is prone to the development of moulds and fungi.

Moulds and fungi in feed materials cause spoilage and degradation of nutrient value. They also produce mycotoxins, which are tiny chemicals with the capability of causing health and performance issues in animals if consumed. Additionally, with moulds, there is more likely to be increased wastage of forage, which is very costly for your farm.

The most recent FEFAC report outlined the incidence of mycotoxins in last year’s EU harvest and indicated that maize was the most likely crop to contain a high level of mycotoxins. The most prevalent mycotoxins found in maize across Europe were aflatoxin, ZON, DON, fumonisins and T2/HT2. Presence of particular mycotoxins depends on the local climate and environmental conditions.

What do these results mean for your farm?

While it isn’t necessary to know everything about each mycotoxin (your nutritionist should be able to help you with that), it is important to be aware that feeding grains and forages likely to contain mycotoxins can put cow health and performance at risk. There are different effects and levels of risk associated with each type of mycotoxin. Therefore, it is a good idea to regularly test feed materials for mycotoxin presence using the free MycoCheck service.

The MycoCheck service analyses a wide range of feed materials in the UK and Ireland and has given us an idea of the mycotoxins most commonly found. Aflatoxin is not commonly found in UK and Ireland maize. This mycotoxin is carcinogenic, so feeding levels are restricted to prevent exposure through the food chain. ZON is commonly found in maize and is associated with poor fertility. DON is also commonly found and is associated with poor gut health and diarrhoea. Fumonisins are less of an issue for ruminants, but high levels have been associated with kidney and liver damage.

 What to watch out for

The signs of mycotoxin exposure depend on the mycotoxin present. Keep an eye on your cows and watch out for signs of reduced performance. Animals need to use energy to get rid of mycotoxins present in their body, and this energy could have otherwise been used for liveweight gain or milk production. Perhaps you are having unexplained issues with fertility, and it could be that mycotoxins are having an effect on your cow’s ability to hold her calf. Also, consider gut health – do your cows have scour which doesn’t seem to be nutritional? Or do your cows have swellings on their legs or udder which don’t seem to be related to bumping or rubbing on cubicles?

These are all common signs of mycotoxin exposure; however, they can be associated with other health issues. Therefore, it is very important you consult with your vet and nutritionist if you see any of these signs in your herd.

 How to minimise the effects of mycotoxins

It is important we utilise high quality feed ingredients like maize, but we also need to support cows and prevent the effects of mycotoxin exposure. Ultrasorb is a highly effective mycotoxin binder which has been formulated based on the commonly found mycotoxins in the UK and Ireland. It is highly effective at binding DON and ZON, which typical clay binders are unable to bind. This makes Ultrasorb the most suitable choice for feeding with maize.

For more information on the effects of mycotoxins on your herd, or on the free MycoCheck service, please contact us on 02894 473478 or complete the contact us form.