U.S. drought fallout . . . might it affect all of our ducks?

[Going Quackers]

Interesting, I wonder what will happen in my country>? we have different laws governing things.

 

[Amiga]

Interesting, I wonder what will happen in my country>? we have different laws governing things.

I don't know how much corn Canada imports from south, if any. And I don't know what your FDA equivalent has set as a threshold, either. We shall see, as things unfold.

Meanwhile, I have found this article helpful. Several state extension services have published information also.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Grow-Poultry-Feed-What-Chickens-Eat.aspx

 

[Tivona]

I just sent an email question about this and included the link to the study to my feed manufacturer. I will see what they say. Hopefully they are careful with their waterfowl feed. No idea if I will get a response back.

 

[ChristineR]

Okay, so what can I do for my ducks to make sure they are not affected? What about geese? Do I assume that they will react the same way? And how will we know? Do they have to disclose this on the feed bags or will the companies have to be contacted and asked point blank? Would Canadian grains be better to use? Is there a way to mitigate the problems with vitamin supplements or is the toxin beyond anything vitamnis would be able to counter act?

Do you have Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks? The book has instructions for mixing your own feeds. I have read that eating certain vegetables helps mitigate the some of the effects of the toxin, but that wasn't in ducks and I don't know how accurate that info was anyway...

I have never used whole grains to mix my own duck feed before so wouldn't know where to begin and what about possible contamination of those as well?

Corn is the one that is most likely to contain high levels of aflatoxin.

Amiga, thanks so much for posting this info.

It's also concerning to me because we eat these animals and aflatoxin is carcinogenic. It's just nasty and not something I want more of in my diet!

 

[ChristineR]

I don't feed dog food with corn in it, but if I did, I would be looking for a different corn-free food right now.

 

[ChristineR]

This is an interesting article from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/5/1106.full

Here's an excerpt:

Aflatoxicosis is the poisoning that results from ingesting aflatoxins. Two forms of aflatoxicosis have been identified: the first is acute severe intoxication, which results in direct liver damage and subsequent illness or death, and the second is chronic subsymptomatic exposure. A review of the literature across all species provides clear evidence that the dose and duration of exposure to aflatoxin clearly have a major effect on the toxicology and may cause a range of consequences: 1) large doses lead to acute illness and death, usually through liver cirrhosis; 2) chronic sublethal doses have nutritional and immunologic consequences; and 3) all doses have a cumulative effect on the risk of cancer. This review focuses on the nutritional and immunologic consequences.

Acute illness and death

The symptoms of severe aflatoxicosis include hemorrhagic necrosis of the liver, bile duct proliferation, edema, and lethargy. Animal studies have found 2 orders of magnitude difference in the median lethal dose for AFB1. Susceptible species such as rabbits and ducks have a low (0.3 mg/kg) median lethal dose, whereas chickens (18 mg/kg) and rats have greater tolerance. Adult humans usually have a high tolerance of aflatoxin, and, in the reported acute poisonings, it is usually the children who die (15).

Cancers

For humans, aflatoxin is predominantly perceived as an agent promoting liver cancers, although lung cancer is also a risk among workers handling contaminated grain (20).

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

we feed our pyrs rabbits and ducks and chickens with kibble as a secondary feed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I cook for our dogs, beef hearts, kidney which will be affected if livestock is going to be fed this.

 

[Haunted55]

Amiga, thanks so much for posting this info.

It's also concerning to me because we eat these animals and aflatoxin is carcinogenic. It's just nasty and not something I want more of in my diet!

I agree and yes I do have Storey's book and if I ever find a minute maybe i can sit down and actually read it.

 

[Haunted55]

we feed our pyrs rabbits and ducks and chickens with kibble as a secondary feed.

What do you mean by 'kibble', dry cat food?

I cook for our dogs, beef hearts, kidney which will be affected if livestock is going to be fed this.

Miss Lydia, as I told you before, I am getting pigs to raise for breeding. They are awful close to humans in their food needs. In my mind their diet should be the same as mine. [or as close to it as possible] And, I am horrified that my ducks could be adversely affected! I called Purina today, as I use Flock Raiser for my ducks, geese and turkeys. The story I was given is they test all grain coming in and will turn away grain if it does not meet their criteria. The person I spoke with said they go by the FTDS? Maybe I'm wrong, but I question their reliability in this situation. The bottom line seems to speak louder than the welfare of my animals.