Would mold in feed?

[mullers3acers]

Can mold in feed hinder egg laying? We were checking feed two days ago and found mold. We keep our chicken feed in a grain ben covered with a rubber tarp to keep the rats out and to keep the moisture out so we thought. It did the complete opposite. Help?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Birds can be very sensitive to mycotoxins (fungal toxins) so you should definitely not allow them to eat moldy feed. Even if it doesn't directly poison the bird they can pass the toxins back to you through their eggs. It might well be that the moldy feed is affecting their egg laying.

.....Alan.