Ultrabond

The hidden risk in home grown forage from Mycotoxins

The issue:

• Mycotoxin concentrations can be higher in silage than feeds and cereal grains
• Silage faces and are open to the elements, meaning storage mycotoxins can also develop
• Mycotoxins can significantly reduce milk production and reproductive performance
• It is advisable to include a mycotoxin binder in all rations as an insurance factor
• It is important to understand that not all mycotoxin binders are the same!

In recent times farmers have become more aware of the risks to herd health and performance from Mycotoxins. These are produced by moulds both before the crop is harvested and during the feed out in forages. They can be present in bought in feed, particularly but not exclusively moist feeds and can have serious effects on herd health and performance.

As genetics has improved in recent years so has growth and performance of both dairy and beef animals. Feed intakes are higher in modern animals than at any stage in the past and it is because of these high intakes that the total challenge on the animal can impact much more than in the past.

It is therefore essential to reduce the risk of mycotoxin ingestion.

What are Mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced from Fungi which develop in crops either in the field or during storage. Mycotoxins can be very harmful to cattle at extremely low levels which are commonly measured in parts per billion (ppb) even levels as low as 6ppb can cause a problem.

Dairy cows and beef cattle are exposed to mycotoxins in a variety of ways:

• Growing pasture (fungal contamination of grasses)
• Silage
• Hay and straw (including bedding)
• concentrated feed formulated with contaminated grain
• Moist feeds

Economic losses associated with mycotoxicoses include:

• reduced milk production
• poor fertility
• increased somatic cell count (SCC)
• increased disease susceptibility
• reduced longevity
• Laminitis and swollen joints

In trials run with commercial dairy cows exposure to mycotoxins resulted in losses in milk production of 1.5-2 l/h/d, increased SCC by 100,000 cells/ml and decreases of nearly 0.3% milk fat and 0.05% protein.

Ruminant diets generally include both concentrates and forages, which increase the risk of mycotoxin exposure compared with other animals that have less varied diets. Some metabolism and detoxification of these toxins takes place in the rumen. However, although some detoxification may occur, the breakdown process can also result in the production of new and more toxic metabolites, making the problems more severe.

Mycotoxin metabolism in the rumen is difficult to predict and is affected by the type of diet being fed to the cows. In general, the metabolism of toxins is more efficient at a more neutral rumen pH in comparison with acidicl conditions, hence, cattle suffering from any level of acidosis will be more severely affected (e.g. those exposed to high concentrate diets, or lacking fibre in the diet or at the early stage of lactation).

Using a variety of feeds increases the probability of multiple mycotoxin contamination but decreases the risk of high mycotoxin concentrations because any one feed ingredient is diluted by the presence of other feedstuffs overall. This can be problematic, as sub-clinical mycotoxicoses can be much more difficult to diagnose.

While some feeds may have a low risk of mycotoxins what is important is the overall loading on the animal on a daily basis.

Forage

The greatest exposure to toxins from moulds for cows comes from the forage they consume (grass, hays, silages). Grazing systems are not safe from mycotoxin contamination - fresh grasses can be contaminated with several mycotoxins. These typically include fungal endophytes that produce mycotoxins, as well as Fusarium mycotoxins, such as zearalenone or DON.

Ensiled forages are more likely to harbour moulds and associated mycotoxins than dry forages, especially in poorly made silages where the fermentation and anaerobic conditions are not strictly controlled. Soil contamination through splashing at harvest can increase the risk. Any silage showing signs of mould growth should be avoided.

Table 1. Identification of mould in silage

Other by-products (especially those that are moist or poorly kept) may harbour fungal contamination and include citrus pulp, fodder beet, distillers and brewers grains.

As these materials are often handled in a wet form, where storage and management of materials is very basic, moulds have ample opportunity to grow and mycotoxins are often produced during storage and transport

Bedding

Although feed is the key vector bringing mycotoxins into the dairy and beef production system and control strategies should focus mainly on optimising feed quality, cases have been reported where significant concentrations of mycotoxins have been introduced through the bedding. Straw quality should, therefore, also be considered as a risk factor especially in dry cows, which are fed below appetite and often consume straw bedding. Likewise, store beef cattle, breeding sheep and calves can be affected by mycotoxins from deep litter straw systems and rack feeding. More...

Specific mycotoxins in dairy production

To effectively recognise mycotoxicoses, herds have to be carefully inspected for symptoms. Symptoms are often very general and can greatly vary according to the mycotoxins present, making proper diagnosis difficult. Careful recognition of symptoms and blood analyses in combination with adequate feed analyses, provide the most accurate diagnosis of mycotoxicoses.

Identifying the level of contamination in a feed can also be difficult as sampling for toxins measured in parts per billion can be by its nature a hit and miss affair. One maize grain in 27 truckloads is the equivalent of 1 part per billion!

The Impact on Cows

Mycotoxins frequently occur simultaneously to produce synergistic toxicity, therefore they should not be considered in isolation. The mycotoxins of concern in breeding sows and their possible effects are shown in Table 1 which are all metabolites from the Fusarium mould species.

Table 1. Symptoms of mycotoxins in sows and the EU maximum levels.

A reduction in feed intake is also a common symptom of mycotoxicosis. Figure 1 shows the results of a study which concluded that with each 1ppm increase of DON, feed intakes reduced by approximately 7.5%.

Figure 1. Feed intakes are reduced with increasing levels of DON.

Straw is a serious risk!

Wet harvests inevitably result in poorer quality straw as well as less being available; in many cases it is visibly mouldy. Although it is advisable to discard mouldy straw, it is highly likely that some mouldy straw

A solution

A mycotoxin binder is certainly a valuable addition to all diets, but it must be understood that not all binders are the same. Certain binders are successful at binding a limited range of mycotoxins only, however we know that mycotoxins are seldom present in isolation. Therefore it is imperative to select a broad spectrum binder with proven success.

There is a huge amount of misinformation in the area of mycotoxins and mycotoxin binders which led us to undertake a substantial R & D programme to provide clarity and constructive advice. The results of unique trials where products were compared on a like for like basis asking the question how much toxin will 1 gram of binder bind unearthed some very interesting facts and proved that not all mycotoxin binders are the same and some are clearly not as good as is often portrayed.

The trials involved screening dozens of different generic compounds and competitor products in order to compare efficacy using a specialist independent laboratory. The results have been compared on a microgram of toxin bound per gram of toxin binder in order to overcome any inclusion rate effects.

As a result of these trials, we have formulated Ultrabond; a unique mycotoxin binder that binds more toxins per gram than any other product on the market. We also know Ultrabond will not interfere with supplement and will not trap vitamins or other nutrients. The results of our mycotoxin binding trials are given in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Mycotoxin binding capacities of binders used in the UK and Ultrabond.

Ultrabond is a synergistic blend of selected natural minerals formulated to ensure broad spectrum activity against multiple mycotoxins and natural bioflavonoids. Ultrabond provides control against aflatoxins, ochratoxins, fumonisins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol and the dangerous T-2 toxins. Bioflavonoids are powerful natural antioxidants which support the liver the principal organ of detoxification.

The confidence from our in vitro work has been confirmed with results on farm, below is the effect Ultrabond had on Somatic Cell counts.

Other by-products (especially those that are moist or poorly kept) may harbour fungal contamination and include citrus pulp, fodder beet, distillers and brewers grains.

As these materials are often handled in a wet form, where storage and management of materials is very basic, moulds have ample opportunity to grow and mycotoxins are often produced during storage and transport

Specific mycotoxins in dairy production

To effectively recognise mycotoxicoses, herds have to be carefully inspected for symptoms. Symptoms are often very general and can greatly vary according to the mycotoxins present, making proper diagnosis difficult. Careful recognition of symptoms and blood analyses in combination with adequate feed analyses, provide the most accurate diagnosis of mycotoxicoses.

Identifying the level of contamination in a feed can also be difficult as sampling for toxins measured in parts per billion can be by its nature a hit and miss affair. One maize grain in 27 truckloads is the equivalent of 1 part per billion!

The Impact on Cows

Mycotoxins frequently occur simultaneously to produce synergistic toxicity, therefore they should not be considered in isolation. The mycotoxins of concern in breeding sows and their possible effects are shown in Table 1 which are all metabolites from the Fusarium mould species.

Table 1. Symptoms of mycotoxins in sows and the EU maximum levels.

We are confident that Ultrabond is the most effective binder on the market which binds the broadest spectrum of mycotoxins. This most importantly makes it the most cost effective binder to use.

Take the Toxin Challenge...

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• Improve Milk Yield
• Increase Nutrient Utilisation
• Increase Immunity
• Improve Fertility
• Protect feed from threat of Mycotoxins

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