When producing silage, it is essential to ensure the process is as close to perfect as possible. Doing this helps minimize the risk of aerobic deterioration and mould development in conserved forage.
When this occurs, it can have detrimental effects on feed intake and efficiency, decrease fertility rates, decrease milk production and even cause more abortions – especially if there are mycotoxins present in the mouldy silage.
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Preventive Measures
There are a number of preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of feeding mouldy silage to cows. These include selecting suitable hybrids, minimizing crop stresses and maintaining high quality forage while in production.
Molds that invade grain or hay before ensiling are typically non-producers of mycotoxins (23), however some fungi spores may be transported into the silo with contaminated soil.
Under certain conditions such as temperature, moisture and a pH range below 4.0, many of these spores can become viable and produce mycotoxins. When present, these toxins have serious adverse effects on animal performance and health.
To prevent feed from becoming mouldy, it’s essential to keep the silo clean and maintain an air temperature of at least 40 degrees Celsius. Grains or forage with high moisture content may need to be acid treated or dried prior to storage.
Monitoring
Monitoring the progress of feeding mouldy silage to cows requires an accurate understanding of the different factors that can contribute to mold growth in feed. These include haylage density in bunkers, piles or tubes as well as moisture content.
Haylage with a low density will heat up more quickly and require more energy to break down, increasing the likelihood of mold forming and thus decreasing its value.
This is especially true when the haylage was not packed tightly or an appropriate silage inoculant was not applied prior to ensiling. To ensure aerobic stability of the silage, temperature should be monitored and a suitable lactic acid producing bacteria inoculant should be added for protection.
If storage mold is present, it is imperative to remove at least 6 inches of the bunk face each day; 12 inches is ideal. Doing this helps prevent spores from being released into silage and can reduce secondary mold growth.
Treatment
If a producer suspects mold is growing in their silo, it’s essential to take steps to prevent the spread of the fungus. This includes maintaining proper feedout rates, employing effective feedout techniques and keeping the face of the silo clean.
Feeding mouldy silage to cows can lead to a variety of issues, such as decreased performance and death. While some issues are directly caused by mold growth, others may be due to inadequate feed quality.
It is essential to remove at least a foot of silage from the feeding face daily, with 12 inches being ideal. Increasing this rate will increase the amount of deteriorated material removed from the silo and slow down mold growth.
Storage molds need oxygen to sporulate and can grow in silages when producers fail to maintain adequate feedout rates or utilize proper feeding techniques. Not only that, but these fungi also produce mycotoxins such as zearalenone, DON or vomitoxin that may cause various symptoms in livestock.
Prevention
Feeding mouldy silage to cows can lead to production losses and health complications, especially if there is a high presence of mycotoxins present in the feed.
Molds thrive most easily on hay that has been stored wet or saturated by rainfall. This issue is more prevalent during the fall months when rain or snow accumulates on hay storage areas.
To reduce the risk of mold and mycotoxins, it is essential to eliminate all air pockets from ensiled feed. This requires extra packing, especially when moisture levels are low.
Additionally, it’s essential to stop feeding a bin or delivery of feed if there are issues with that material. This could occur if the feed had an improper cure, was opened pit 50 days after sealing, had excessive aerobic degeneration, or had an elevated pH (above 5-5.5).
Mycotoxins are toxic to livestock and can lead to mycotic abortions, liver damage and respiratory problems. They have been detected in the blood and tissue of cattle, sheep, horses and goats alike.
