Depending on your location, producers may have ended up with moldy corn, and in some cases, that mold has produced mycotoxins that are problem for livestock.  Pork producers have several options when dealing with this situation.

Producers need to keep a couple of things in mind.  First, molds don’t cause the problem for livestock, it’s the mycotoxins they produce that do.  Secondly, not all mycotoxins cause problems for livestock.  The ones we need to watch for in swine are aflatoxin, zearalenone, DON/vomitoxin, fumonosins, and T2.  With the weather conditions of this summer and fall, the main ones pork producers need to watch for are DON and zearalenone.  Also, producers can add mold inhibitors to prevent any more mold growth, but it won’t do anything to the mycotoxins that are already there.

Vomitoxin does not cause health or reproductive problems, but when the total concentration in the diet reaches 1 ppm, pigs will eat less feed, or in some cases, simply vomit and then quit eating.  This decrease in feed intake will result in slower gains but not death.  Zearalenone has estrogen-like effects and tends to cause problems in the breeding herd.  There are some commercial products available that bind aflatoxin, but they are not very effective in tying up DON or zearalenone.  Therefore, if a producer wants to use DON or zearalenone-contaminated grain, they’ll need to blend it with “clean” grain to keep those levels in the complete feed below 1 ppm.  For example, if the corn contains 2 ppm DON and it is included in the diet at 25% of the total ration, the final diet should only contain .5 ppm DON if the other ingredients are clean.  At this level, pig performance will not be affected.

To make this work, it is essential to know exactly how much mycotoxin is in the grain.  Take samples from several different locations in the bin or load, and then send them to a certified lab for analysis.  Your local Extension personnel can provide more information about proper sampling and where to send it.  Once you get the results back, blend the contaminated grain with clean grain and keep the diet’s mycotoxin level below 1 ppm.  Also, strategically feed the moldy corn.  Feed it to finishing pigs and cull sows, but keep it out of gestation, lactation, and nursery diets.

For more information about mycotoxins please refer to the article called A Closer Diagnosis: Corn Mycotoxins.  For more information, contact Dr. Bob Thaler, (605-688-5435) or your local Extension personnel.