Understanding and Preventing Mycotoxicosis in Goats
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Mycotoxins can have a significant impact on goats, and, unfortunately, there’s no specific antidote for mycotoxicosis.
Ruminants are hardy by design, thanks to their unique gut and digestive processes. However, the microbes that make this possible are quite sensitive to environmental upsets.
As expected, feed quality is a huge element of keeping gut microbes happy. Feed quality is impacted by storage and safety. Molds and combinations of molds can disrupt gut health.
Specific fungi produce secondary mold metabolites, also known as mycotoxins. Most often, these are found in grains, hay, and silage.
Not all fungi produce the harmful mycotoxins, and those that do vary in severity. However, because it’s impossible to diagnose on sight alone, it’s safest to discard feeds showing any signs of molding, mushroom growth, or other decay.
What is Mycotoxicosis?
The illnesses that result from consuming mycotoxins, ranging from mild to fatal, are called mycotoxicoses. Around 100 species (nearly all of them falling into one of the three genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium) of fungi and molds produce the metabolites contributing to these issues.
Molding is often associated with storage issues but can also occur during plant growth and harvest. The risk for this may be higher during certain seasons or weather events.
Multiple mycotoxins may be present at one time, and together, they can cause clinical signs and lesions.
According to the Merck Veterinary Manual: “Some mycotoxins are immunosuppressive, increasing susceptibility to secondary infections that are more obvious than the primary disease. When a mycotoxin is suspected of immunosuppression, differential diagnoses must be carefully established by thorough clinical and historical evaluation, examination of production records, and appropriate diagnostic testing.”
Ruminants can handle greater quantities of mycotoxins than simple-stomached animals, but the impact on their productivity is still significant. Additionally, there’s no specific antidote for mycotoxicity. The most important step is to remove contaminated feed and prevent feeding it in the first place.
Properly diagnosing mycotoxicity can be difficult due to the lack of visible symptoms. Death is often swift and unannounced, and what symptoms do surface can be too late and mimic other conditions.
Understanding the Risks
You can be on the lookout for the subtle indicators of contaminated feed. Some mycotoxins are less potent than others, so they may have clinical impacts that aren’t deadly, including poor efficiency like failure to grow, poor milk production, and an overall lack of thriftiness. Developing kids are at a higher risk of being impacted by contaminated feed and will usually be the first to become sick or die.
Developing kids are at a higher risk and will be the first to become sick and die
While mycotoxins are not transmissible between animals, feed isn’t the only source of contamination, as they can be ingested from access to moldy bedding and other organic materials left within reach. The effects of mycotoxicity can accumulate over time as the animal ingests more of the mycotoxins. Additional factors that lend to susceptibility include environmental factors, exposure levels, age, health, and nutritional status.
Unfortunately, there’s no specific antidote for mycotoxicosis, and often, full recovery is unlikely due to the damage to the liver and other vital organs.
Prevention Practices
While avoiding potentially toxic feed seems like common sense, a simple wave of humidity, a leak in the feed room, or even picking up a bad batch at the feed store can wreak havoc.
Certain additives can inhibit mold growth if you have a custom feed blend. Commonly employed feed additives for this purpose include propionic acids and various organic acids. However, even if there are mold inhibitors in the feed, mycotoxins may still be present.
If you have an unexpected death, it’s prudent to check your feed, hay, and other organic materials for mold and other abnormalities. If mycotoxicosis is suspected, take corrective actions, including changing feed even when it doesn’t seem off when inspecting ingredients and storage areas.
If you purchase a bag of feed and find mold in it, see if that brand offers reimbursement or return it to the store or mill for a refund.
Sight and smell are an easy first step to identifying whether hay or grain is off or is starting to become moldy. This can range from a slightly rancid or musty odor to discoloration or hard clumps.
If you have a significant case of molding and want to ensure it hasn’t contaminated other products in the same area, you may want to play it safe and send a sample of any grain or hay stored nearby to a lab to analyze spore counts and fungal cultures.
As a rule, hay and straw should be dried to less than 20% moisture before baling. Grain products should be dried to less than 14% moisture before storage and kept as cool and dry as possible during storage. Airtight containers are a great option, depending on how much grain you’re handling. If you store individual bags, use pallets to increase airflow and avoid direct contact with dirt or concrete.
Prevention is always the best case for almost every problem. When it comes to protecting your herd and their rumens from mycotoxicosis, prevention and observation are paramount. Knowing how to avoid contamination is essential not only for your animals’ health but also to save time and money on wasted feed. It’s a good reminder to always carefully inspect everything you feed your animals. Your greatest prevention tools are awareness and education.
JACLYN DE CANDIO is a professional agriculture writer, communications specialist, and farmer. A member of the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Agriculture Communicators Network, she lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and children where they operate Latria Livestock Co., feeding out market kids and lambs.
