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

[Amiga]

I've just submitted an inquiry email to Blue Seal.

Thanks, that is the brand I have been buying.

I tried to submit a question to Purina but their web site was messing up yesterday will have to try again.

Thanks, I think it is good for us to find out what we can.

Maybe I won't have to grow and mix my own feed. Then again . . .what kind of confounds me is that the Storey's Guide recipes have some ingredients listed that don't sound like something that would come out of my garden, if I recall correctly.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks, that is the brand I have been buying.
Thanks, I think it is good for us to find out what we can.

Maybe I won't have to grow and mix my own feed. Then again . . .what kind of confounds me is that the Storey's Guide recipes have some ingredients listed that don't sound like something that would come out of my garden, if I recall correctly.

I have trouble finding large bags of grains to mix and haven't the ground for a large garden, I did find wheat and whole oats but haven't been able to find barley, and on Cottage Roses web site she talks about Fertel products which I can't find in my area, it's really kinda frustrating.Is Blue Seal organic? can't get but Country side organics around here well 50 miles round trip to buy it.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Fertel can be ordered online directly from them

 

[toadbriar]

Blue Seal has the OrganicLife line of feed, but it's an option not the default.

 

[Amiga]

I have been using the Blue Seal Organic. I used Countryside for a while, but it is so far away that freight was really pricey, and the texture was not easy for the ducks to eat....

 

[Tivona]

I don't feed my birds organic but I do eat almost entirely organics myself and have for many years. It is my understanding though that the aflatoxin [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]is [/FONT]produced by certain strains of the Aspergillus molds. I have been doing a lot of research since encountering this thread and have read that the molds that cause the aflatoxin can grow on organics as well as the "conventional" crops. Therefore it would not be safe to assume that if a feed is organic that it would be free of the problem of the aflatoxin, but more of an issue is with where the crop was grown and whether or not the seasons climate conditions would favor the Aspergillus strains that would cause the toxin. So much of the corn both organic and "conventional" are grown in the same states because of the fact that the growing conditions favor it. Just my opinion from based on all that I have been reading...

 

[Haunted55]

I don't feed my birds organic but I do eat almost entirely organics myself and have for many years. It is my understanding though that the aflatoxin [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]is [/FONT]produced by certain strains of the Aspergillus molds. I have been doing a lot of research since encountering this thread and have read that the molds that cause the aflatoxin can grow on organics as well as the "conventional" crops. Therefore it would not be safe to assume that if a feed is organic that it would be free of the problem of the aflatoxin, but more of an issue is with where the crop was grown and whether or not the seasons climate conditions would favor the Aspergillus strains that would cause the toxin. So much of the corn both organic and "conventional" are grown in the same states because of the fact that the growing conditions favor it. Just my opinion from based on all that I have been reading...

If anyone has rye grass growing in their yards and have allowed it to go to seed, go look closely at it. Mine is covered with the black spots. If you know your history, you'll know that this may and probably contributed to the witch trials in Salem, Mass.. I've kept my ducks and geese in their pen for the last couple of days since I found this. I feel bad but until I can get it cut and burned I'm not going to chance it. It's not just the corn this year.

I am going to TS today and talk to the store manager. Between what I have found out here and what a Vet told me about a recent necropsy I had done, I have no confidence in the grain. I want to speak with the Purina rep as my phone call to Purina did nothing and I am going to tell the TS manager that until I can speak with someone, I will no longer be buying the grain there. We have a dealer here who sells Shurgain. Canadian grain. I used some of their feed with my turkeys and had no problems with the one bag I tried. Costs the same but the size of the bags is larger. Instead of 50 lbs. you get 55 lbs.. I bought a bag of rolled oats for 8 and something and the bag was 85 lbs.. What i don't know is if Canada had the same problems with their grain.

 

[Amiga]

Here is a link to a newsletter that focused on feed for ducks and geese. It is stated that readers need to do their own research and make their own decisions, but since there have been recalls ( and now, since this was published, the aflatoxin concern) they made the effort to contact feed companies and figure out just what is in those bags of food.

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/newslettercurrent.htm

 

[JumpingDucks]

I wonder how much this is to blame for the terrible chicken egg production several of us in my neck of the woods have been experiencing for MONTHS! Production never picked up after they stopped laying because of the heat in July. Yeah, molting has affected some of them but certainly not all. I don't think it's a pathogen because there are too many of us over too broad of an area plus there's no sign of illness. GAH!

From the looks of this article (albeit old) it doesn't take long, or much, of this stuff to throw off laying.

http://ps.fass.org/content/52/6/2206.abstract

From Poultry Science

The Effects of Short Term Feeding of Aflatoxin on Egg Production and Some Plasma Constituents of the Laying Hen1,2

1. J. D. Garlich, ​
2. Hsi-Tang Tung and ​
3. P. B. Hamilton​

​

Abstract​

The effect on White Leghorn laying hens of feeding 20 p.p.m. dietary aflatoxin for seven days was investigated. During this feeding period egg production was not affected although plasma calcium, protein, cholesterol, triglycerides were decreased significantly (P < 0.05) and serum alkaline phosphatase was increased by the second day of aflatoxin treatment. At the end of the aflatoxin feeding period, the hens were returned to the control diet for recovery. The plasma calcium, protein and alkaline phosphatase values approximated the control values by the seventh day of the recovery period while plasma total lipid and cholesterol approximated control values by the tenth day. Egg production rate began to decline significantly (P < 0.05) on the first day of the recovery period and reached a minimum of 35 percent seven days later. Egg production returned to the control rate 19 days after the hens began eating the aflatoxin-free diet. These results suggest that aflatoxin impairs egg production by reducing liver synthesis and transport of yolk precursors. There is a delayed onset in the decline of egg production.

• Received February 14, 1973.

 

[Amiga]

I wonder how much this is to blame for the terrible chicken egg production several of us in my neck of the woods have been experiencing for MONTHS! Production never picked up after they stopped laying because of the heat in July. Yeah, molting has affected some of them but certainly not all. I don't think it's a pathogen because there are too many of us over too broad of an area plus there's no sign of illness. GAH!

From the looks of this article (albeit old) it doesn't take long, or much, of this stuff to throw off laying.

http://ps.fass.org/content/52/6/2206.abstract

I recall from my mycology class that aflatoxin is visible under black light. But with 50 parts per billion having an affect on ducks, I don't imagine it would be detectable by the time it is mixed into feed. . . . .

Well, so, time to revive some of the threads with homemade duck feed recipes? Picture me taking a few deep breaths and resting my head in my hands for a few minutes to process the implications here . . . . Lord, have mercy.