I decided this was important enough to have it's own Topic, so I am re-posting this so as to inform as many people (and chickens) as possible, what is happening and how much Politics play a part in the Agriculture industry. I was a hog farmer put out of business by The Biggest Feed Company in the US because I found out what was slowly killing my pigs for many years. The animals wouldn't get pregnant for so long it cost me everything. So if your Chickens don't produce eggs properly, look at the feed.
Good quote, but I have researched this to the max, and I can tell you I got it straight from the man who's research everyone is misinterpreting that 5.0 ppm is the "ACUTE" dose. The research on long term, low level, "Chronic" toxicity has not been done. I have searched long and hard for that research, so if you find it, let me know.
By the way, birds are being poisoned by selenium in the Kesterson Wildlife area in California. It's been going on for years at a lot lower levels than you might think. Look it up.
Chronic toxicity happened in my pigs at less than 1.0 ppm. The top researcher on pigs and selenium at Ohio State University, 30 years of research, told me that the research on selenium at low levels over long periods of time has "not been done". (I called him when I was looking for the research) He also told me that, "by my calculations, a sow would go toxic in 1 1/2 years time at 1.0 ppm." He also told the feed companies the same thing. The top guys at the feed companies ran with their tails between their legs and when a friend of mine started to complain about her test results and sick animals, they avoided her, fired the feed rep, and trashed her complaint and tell everyone they haven't received any complaints and we have all been told we are the only ones with a complaint and problem. Go Figure!!!!!!
I also ate my own pork and my hair was falling out and my nails were very brittle and had ridges. (These are the early signs of Selenosis, which also includes reproductive failure which I cannot test on myself). All gone away after we started making our own feed from local grown grains only. ( I live in a low selenium region) Any way, the pigs had varying degrees of strange ailments including reproductive failure. All went away as if by magic when we made our own feed.
The feed companies are not going to change anything because that would mean they would have to admit to the problem, ( All of us with test results are just waiting for the day they admit it) Also, they would have to ship the grain from states further away and the feed price would go up even more, also they are continuing to add more on top of an already toxic amount.
The feed companies have a big problem they cannot fix without admitting liability. All they can do now is wait for the Government to force them to test before adding more.
I have talked to many Vets on the subject, and when I show them the test results, they change their minds about Selenium very quickly. But a Vet won't think of a selenium test until YOU bring it up. It isn't one of those tests that is routinely done. So if you have any questions for me you would be better to e-mail me as I may not be back here every day.
I haven't seen a normal test result on any animal so far. Goats, pigs, cows, horses, I hold the toxic test results in my hot little hand because I was able to talk a few farmers into getting tests run because they were having problems of various types also. All I did was make a couple of phone calls to people I knew. In Oregon, CA, MT, TX, so far. The Vets say the liver levels I have shown them on the tests are toxic. The Pathologists say the same thing. We did have a top Vet at one university say he didn't think the levels on the tests were anything to worry about. He is now singing a different tune. He and many other Vets don't know how to interpret the numbers so we need to run them by the top Docs who research this for a living.
So, understand that when you read things, you have to ask "where did they get that information?" Where did the Merck Vet Manual get it's information on Selenium and who wrote the book? Did they actually READ the research or did they SKIM through it just looking for numbers?
Where did I get my information and who am I? I got my information from the top Selenium/Swine Researcher in the country who has 30 years of research, is published around the world, and his name is probably on 80% of the research ever published on the subject. Dr Don Mahan at The Ohio State University.
He told the top two feed companies in the US that they need to test the grain before making feed with it and selling it to "Unsuspecting Customers" (That's who I was) I am now a very suspicious person because of the politics behind the grain industry. I am now seriously worried about our cereal in the morning. I am so broke from fighting these guys, I cannot afford to get the tests done on human food right now, but soon I will do it.
Here are some links that will astonish you:
Links below shows just how much grain is coming out of South Dakota which has extremely high levels of Selenium in the soil. By the way, "midwest" region includes South Dakota. so if they tell you your grain comes from the "midwest" that means it comes from the closest state to you that grows it for the commercial market.
These are the names of the "Brokers" who buy grain from South Dakota and sell to the feed manufacturers all over the US.
http://puc.sd.gov/commission/warehouse/Grain%20License%20Info.pdf
http://www.sdwheat2.org/files/Farmhomeselenium307.pdf This article is interesting because they say the Selenium is just right but in the first paragraph of the story, the farmer talks about the Selenium poisoning his livestock where he now grows wheat.
http://tin.er.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/averages/se/usa.html Here is the official map of Selenium in the US, notice South Dakota. You can also see how much lead, aluminum, arsenic, mercury, and more, is in the soil. County by County.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/A_to_Z/index.asp#d Here is a great site to play with to find out how much of our food is being grown in what states. Then you can compare it with the USGS Map.
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/AHID/docs/pdf/selenium_levels_112707.pdf This is to show you I am not imagining this. Look at page 2 for test results. How can we calculate how much our animals are getting when the actual levels are all over the place, and we only see .3 ppm on the tag? They automatically put .3 ppm added to the feed, since they NEVER test the feed, they know there is at least .3 ppm in the feed.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2009/07/16/7 esist.html Here is an article of how the FDA is fighting politics on being able to regulate anything at all.
Good quote, but I have researched this to the max, and I can tell you I got it straight from the man who's research everyone is misinterpreting that 5.0 ppm is the "ACUTE" dose. The research on long term, low level, "Chronic" toxicity has not been done. I have searched long and hard for that research, so if you find it, let me know.
By the way, birds are being poisoned by selenium in the Kesterson Wildlife area in California. It's been going on for years at a lot lower levels than you might think. Look it up.
Chronic toxicity happened in my pigs at less than 1.0 ppm. The top researcher on pigs and selenium at Ohio State University, 30 years of research, told me that the research on selenium at low levels over long periods of time has "not been done". (I called him when I was looking for the research) He also told me that, "by my calculations, a sow would go toxic in 1 1/2 years time at 1.0 ppm." He also told the feed companies the same thing. The top guys at the feed companies ran with their tails between their legs and when a friend of mine started to complain about her test results and sick animals, they avoided her, fired the feed rep, and trashed her complaint and tell everyone they haven't received any complaints and we have all been told we are the only ones with a complaint and problem. Go Figure!!!!!!
I also ate my own pork and my hair was falling out and my nails were very brittle and had ridges. (These are the early signs of Selenosis, which also includes reproductive failure which I cannot test on myself). All gone away after we started making our own feed from local grown grains only. ( I live in a low selenium region) Any way, the pigs had varying degrees of strange ailments including reproductive failure. All went away as if by magic when we made our own feed.
The feed companies are not going to change anything because that would mean they would have to admit to the problem, ( All of us with test results are just waiting for the day they admit it) Also, they would have to ship the grain from states further away and the feed price would go up even more, also they are continuing to add more on top of an already toxic amount.
The feed companies have a big problem they cannot fix without admitting liability. All they can do now is wait for the Government to force them to test before adding more.
I have talked to many Vets on the subject, and when I show them the test results, they change their minds about Selenium very quickly. But a Vet won't think of a selenium test until YOU bring it up. It isn't one of those tests that is routinely done. So if you have any questions for me you would be better to e-mail me as I may not be back here every day.
I haven't seen a normal test result on any animal so far. Goats, pigs, cows, horses, I hold the toxic test results in my hot little hand because I was able to talk a few farmers into getting tests run because they were having problems of various types also. All I did was make a couple of phone calls to people I knew. In Oregon, CA, MT, TX, so far. The Vets say the liver levels I have shown them on the tests are toxic. The Pathologists say the same thing. We did have a top Vet at one university say he didn't think the levels on the tests were anything to worry about. He is now singing a different tune. He and many other Vets don't know how to interpret the numbers so we need to run them by the top Docs who research this for a living.
So, understand that when you read things, you have to ask "where did they get that information?" Where did the Merck Vet Manual get it's information on Selenium and who wrote the book? Did they actually READ the research or did they SKIM through it just looking for numbers?
Where did I get my information and who am I? I got my information from the top Selenium/Swine Researcher in the country who has 30 years of research, is published around the world, and his name is probably on 80% of the research ever published on the subject. Dr Don Mahan at The Ohio State University.
He told the top two feed companies in the US that they need to test the grain before making feed with it and selling it to "Unsuspecting Customers" (That's who I was) I am now a very suspicious person because of the politics behind the grain industry. I am now seriously worried about our cereal in the morning. I am so broke from fighting these guys, I cannot afford to get the tests done on human food right now, but soon I will do it.
Here are some links that will astonish you:
Links below shows just how much grain is coming out of South Dakota which has extremely high levels of Selenium in the soil. By the way, "midwest" region includes South Dakota. so if they tell you your grain comes from the "midwest" that means it comes from the closest state to you that grows it for the commercial market.
These are the names of the "Brokers" who buy grain from South Dakota and sell to the feed manufacturers all over the US.
http://puc.sd.gov/commission/warehouse/Grain%20License%20Info.pdf
http://www.sdwheat2.org/files/Farmhomeselenium307.pdf This article is interesting because they say the Selenium is just right but in the first paragraph of the story, the farmer talks about the Selenium poisoning his livestock where he now grows wheat.
http://tin.er.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/averages/se/usa.html Here is the official map of Selenium in the US, notice South Dakota. You can also see how much lead, aluminum, arsenic, mercury, and more, is in the soil. County by County.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/A_to_Z/index.asp#d Here is a great site to play with to find out how much of our food is being grown in what states. Then you can compare it with the USGS Map.
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/AHID/docs/pdf/selenium_levels_112707.pdf This is to show you I am not imagining this. Look at page 2 for test results. How can we calculate how much our animals are getting when the actual levels are all over the place, and we only see .3 ppm on the tag? They automatically put .3 ppm added to the feed, since they NEVER test the feed, they know there is at least .3 ppm in the feed.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2009/07/16/7 esist.html Here is an article of how the FDA is fighting politics on being able to regulate anything at all.
