Oh no!!!!! Noticed my feed has large chunks of what looks mold and dh has been feeding it to them wi

[Mskayladog]

He has been feeding it to the chikens!! I I ran out to the coop and sure enough there were large chunks of the stuff in the hanging feeder! Will my chicks be ok

 

[mscallisto]

Full grown? More than likely they will be fine. Mine eat all kinds of things they probably shouldn't, but they are very hardy. I catch them eating mushrooms from the yard which I would thing would be bad for them, but they are just fine. Just take away what they have and get them some new and store it in a dry place. Sounds like it got some moisture in it.

 

[Mskayladog]

They are almost a year old, but I read on line at exinsion office site that mold is lethal to chickens.

 

[Nambroth]

Mold can indeed be lethal. If you are sure or pretty sure that it's mold, I would dispose or return the rest of it, if you can. If it is a name brand most of the time companies are pretty good about making it right for you if you let them know you have had a problem, with a voucher for a new bag or having you exchange it for fresh. Watch your birds for signs of problems and continue with a safe feed.

 

[Mskayladog]

I took it back to orchelien they replaced it. I made them sign a paper saying I returned moldy feed.
What signs should I look for?

 

[Mskayladog]

I can not find any thread here about chickens eating moldy feed I could use some help finding info n what to look for.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: There won't be any "signs"
If they ate enough toxic mold they will die.
Otherwise you'll see no difference.

You'll know in a day or so
Personally I wouldn't worry about it, since there's nothing you can do now anyway, and odds are good they are fine

 

[sargent spurs]

There are some kinds of feed that will kill the chickens and there are some that will not, but I would not risk it and would scrap the feed.

 

[Nambroth]

I took it back to orchelien they replaced it. I made them sign a paper saying I returned moldy feed.
What signs should I look for?

When chickens become ill from moldy feeds, it is known as Mycotoxicosis.

Depending on the strain of fungus (Mycotoxins), which is the mold, in the feed, it can cause different types of problems. Some are not harmful, but some are. It's nearly impossible to know what you had in your feed without lab testing.

Here's a page that outlines some of the things you might experience if your chickens did consume a toxic type of mold:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/203500.htm


If you believe your birds have succumbed to mycotoxicosis, you can do a google search on it to learn more.

 

[Nambroth]

There won't be any "signs"
If they ate enough toxic mold they will die.
Otherwise you'll see no difference.

You'll know in a day or so
Personally I wouldn't worry about it, since there's nothing you can do now anyway, and odds are good they are fine

Not quite true. The worst of the toxins produced by molds can indeed cause quick morality in chickens, but there are many, many species and strains and some of them can have wide-ranging symptoms. Good observational skills of the behaviors and general health of the birds after this point is worth the effort.