Mold can grow on your feed, but it won’t grow on you

Veterinarians from across Minnesota and the upper Midwest gathered recently at the University of Minnesota for the Minnesota Dairy Health Conference. Just one of the two days of speakers was Lon Whitlow of North Carolina State University. He shared why we should pay attention to our practices and, more specifically, our feed in order to prevent the growth of molds that produce detrimental mycotoxins. “It’s the low levels of mycotoxins over long periods of time that will cost producers the most,” Whitlow said.

Many producers first realize they have a mycotoxin problem if milk production drops substantially or a cow dies. However, Whitlow says that continuous low levels present in feed can take a cut out of your milk check. Another speaker at the conference, Jeremy Schefers, shared what cows and brewmasters have in common. That commonality was that the quality of the end product could be impacted heavily by the presence of mold. He recommends finding a reputable, cost-effective forage-testing lab that will test for molds to see if you are being challenged with mycotoxins.

Another topic at the conference we thought was really interesting was the topic of stockmanship. Paul Rapnicki of the University of Minnesota presented a how-to of calm cow handling and key concepts of Bud Williams, a well-known educator on low-stress livestock handling. Learn more at the Bud Williams website here.