Nestled on the banks of the Clyde River, overlooking Vermont’s widely reputed lush, forested hills sits Poulin Grain. Proud to call Vermont home since 1932, this fourth-generation family-owned business offers personalized service — including one-on-one animal nutrition consultations, lab-based forage analysis and customized recommendations — along with the manufacturing and delivery of premium animal feeds. Poulin Grain’s diverse customer base includes livestock producers and animal enthusiasts throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada.

As noted by company president Josh Poulin, the nearly 90-year-old business “[has] always been committed to delivering high-quality animal nutrition products at a fair value, and taking care of [its] people, animals and customers.”  

Based in Newport, Vermont, Poulin Grain serves a wide range of customers throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada, including many dairy producers.

Managing mycotoxins in feed and forage

Poulin Grain maintains a steadfast focus on serving the animal and meeting their requirements, which is why they are consistently exploring new technologies that can help them implement superior quality control and produce animal feeds of only the highest caliber.

The company’s northeastern U.S. location — a region often referred to as “mycotoxin central” — led to them initially building a relationship with Alltech. The two companies worked together to implement a mycotoxin control program at Poulin’s mills while also helping their nutrition teams and customers understand more about this dynamic problem on-farm, which includes a central focus on enhancing forage quality.

Why mycotoxin testing is necessary

A 2021 study from Weaver et al. highlighted the prevalence of these toxic compounds in U.S. corn grain and corn silage by analyzing the results of almost 2,000 grain and forage samples across seven years. Findings showed that the mean numbers of mycotoxins per sample were 4.8 and 5.2 in grain and silage, respectively.

These findings are often replicated in the ongoing testing carried out by Alltech’s 37+^® mycotoxin analysis laboratory network. For example, in 2021, over 7,000 tests revealed that an astounding 95% of samples contained two or more mycotoxins.

In recent years, several factors have combined to exacerbate the mycotoxin risk in animal diets worldwide. More extreme weather patterns, such as droughts and floods, are creating extra stress on crops, which is one of the primary predisposing factors for mold and mycotoxin development. Additionally, the shift to no-till crop establishment and reduced crop rotation is leading to a greater buildup of crop residues, which only serves to increase the mycotoxin risk in subsequent crops.

How mycotoxins impact animals

Mycotoxins can be the root cause of numerous problems on-farm. However, some of the more common mycotoxin symptoms include:

• Digestive disorders, such as diarrhea.
• Reproductive challenges, such as decreased fertility and abnormal estrous cycles.
• Reduced animal performance, often linked to reduced feed consumption and nutrient utilization.
• Compromised health, related to suppressed immunity and increased disease risk.

As demonstrated by the routine mycotoxin analysis mentioned above, the presence of multiple mycotoxins in grains and forages tends to be the norm rather than the exception. This may lead to additional or synergistic effects, further compounding the mycotoxin problem for livestock producers.

Taking a proactive approach to mycotoxin management

Although mycotoxins are often chemically stable enough to survive food and feed processing — meaning it is virtually impossible to eliminate them from the supply chain — there are some key steps that can be taken to enhance control efforts.

John Winchell serves as Alltech’s Northeast U.S. territory sales manager, where he has worked with Poulin Grain for nearly two years. When working through mycotoxin challenges, John has always believed it’s best to take a more proactive approach.

“When you think of mycotoxin management, I think it’s much more than just a product — it’s a program; [one that involves] looking at pre-harvest and post-harvest strategies, and [considering] different things, such as climate, population, and varieties,” John explains. “[This paints] a total picture as opposed to [taking a] reactive [approach].”

Aided by Winchell’s support throughout the crop-growing season, Poulin Grain and their dairy nutrition customers have implemented steps to help enhance forage quality and produce superior quality dairy feeds.

For example, to manage grain and forage quality post-harvest, John introduced Poulin Grain to both the Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis and Alltech RAPIREAD^®.

Alltech 37+ is a lab-based mycotoxin detection method that can identify up to 54 individual mycotoxins, including those in total mixed rations (TMRs).

Alltech RAPIREAD utilizes a portable testing module to quickly detect six key mycotoxins. It is typically used directly on-farm or in the feed mill due to its ability to deliver quick results, often in less than 15 minutes.

“Working with [Alltech] 37+ to look at the different samples on different commodities and forages has really helped us get closer to where we need to be on forage quality and cow health,” states Winchell, while also highlighting how Poulin Grain were early adopters of Alltech RAPIREAD, thereby allowing mycotoxin control decisions to be activated on the same day that a challenge is identified.

Optimizing dairy forage quality is a key focus area for both Poulin Grain and Alltech.

Maximizing livestock productivity

Poulin Grain is no stranger to adaption and innovation, as noted by general manager and senior vice president Mike Tetreault, “One of the key things for Poulin Grain to continue to be leaders in animal nutrition is we must be innovative. And part of being innovative for us is having the right products, services and technologies [in place].” That is where John Winchell and Alltech come in.

According to Tetreault, “[Winchell] has been a tremendous asset for us — he’s been really committed [to serving] all our customers and covering every area. He’s been a true source of support, education and growth for all our customers and [our] company. I don’t know what we’d do without this Alltech service.”

From starting with a simple introductory webinar to today implementing the latest in mycotoxin detection, Mike feels the Poulin team has now become experts in managing mycotoxins and is far more able to make informed decisions.

What lies ahead

As Poulin Grain’s business continues to grow and develop the ways in which it serves its diverse customer base, Tetreault is excited about what lies ahead.

“When we find problems that really need further investigation, Alltech’s 37+ [program] has been there to support us dramatically for the last year,” he says. “We’ve had several situations where we’ve been able to help and correct management [on-farm]. It’s really been a great run, and I know that going forward, utilizing these Alltech services, products and technologies will [continue to] truly be an asset for Poulin Grain.”

If we learned anything from 2020, it is that we cannot control everything. For instance, we can’t control the weather, but we can work to control the mycotoxin risk it presents. Weather is the main influencing factor when it comes to mycotoxin risk, leading to a variation in risk levels across the U.S. This year is no exception to that trend, with mycotoxin levels having a wide distribution in the U.S. corn harvest. Mycotoxins can be responsible for the loss of production and efficiency in our animals — a duo we are not interested in.

What are mycotoxins?

Molds and fungi on crops naturally produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are ever-present on-farm but can vary in severity based on feed sources, storage and growing conditions. The three most common types of mycotoxins include Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. Aspergillus is responsible for aflatoxin B1, which can be more abundant with increased drought stress and dry field conditions. Trichothecenes and zearalenone are related to Fusarium. Trichothecenes are common field toxins in grain and silage, and swine are particularly impacted by this mycotoxin because they are considered a more sensitive species to deoxynivalenol (DON). T-2/HT-2 toxins and other trichothecenes are the most toxic for most species, while ochratoxins and citrinin are related to Penicillium. When an animal consumes mycotoxin-contaminated feed, there is risk of reduced production, immune suppression and decreased overall efficiency.

Learn more about mycotoxins at knowmycotoxins.com.

2020 Harvest Analysis

Dr. Max Hawkins, Alltech’s mycotoxin and harvest expert, presented his analysis, giving an insider’s view on this year’s crop, during the 2020 U.S. Harvest Analysis.

Crops are influenced by weather as we go through the growing season, leading to regionalized mycotoxin risk based on weather patterns. The Corn Belt had moderate to severe drought conditions throughout the growing season, in addition to wind-storms, which also affected corn crops. The Eastern U.S. saw above-normal rainfall on heat-stressed and dry crops. It should be noted that while the overall risk is normal this year, where the risk is high, it is notably high. These risks can be manageable if we are able to feed the average, which is why we need to do testing to evaluate what the potential maximum levels are.

Mycotoxin risk breakdown by species:

The 120 corn samples that were analyzed by Alltech 37+ contained an average of 5.9 mycotoxins per sample, with 50% of these samples considered moderate- to high-risk and 50% low-risk. While corn in general is relatively low-risk, pockets of high-risk samples could be an increasing concern with lower corn yields. If we are not able to be as selective when feeding corn, we may get into feeding higher-risk corn, or higher-risk feed ingredients may be used to compensate for less corn in the diet.

• Swine

The mycotoxin risk for sows is moderate to high, specifically related to DON and zearalenone, both of which present risks high enough to impact sow reproduction and performance. Grow-finish pigs are also affected by DON, which can impact gains, gut health and feed efficiency.

• Poultry

Overall, the samples showed a low to moderate mycotoxin risk for poultry, with the risk increasing the farther East the samples came from. Compared to swine, poultry are projected to have a lower risk from DON, but the risk presented by mycotoxins is still high enough to impact gains/feed efficiency and gut health.

• Ruminants

The 273 samples of corn with a high moisture content (HMC) included an average of 6.1 mycotoxins per sample, creating a distribution of 60% low-risk and 40% moderate- to high-risk samples. On average, there is a low risk for beef and cattle; while the presence of mycotoxins has the potential to affect performance, overall, this risk is very manageable. Producers in the East and upper Midwest are projected to have the highest risk due to dry conditions followed by heavy rainfall.

The data from 2020 suggests much more prevalent and higher levels of aflatoxin B1, which should be of particular interest to dairymen. Dairy producers should monitor and test for mycotoxins in corn silage, especially if their operations are located in high-risk areas. Additionally, aflatoxin B1 can convert to aflatoxin M1, which can be excreted in the milk, leading to food safety concerns.

Managing mycotoxins

There will always be mycotoxins in feed, but knowing what they are and what risk level they pose is critical to mycotoxin management. The Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis test provides a realistic picture of the mycotoxins in feed ingredients or TMRs. This comprehensive test allows for quick diagnosis, effective remediation and planning for future control measures. To learn more about having a 37+ test completed on your farm, please visit the Alltech 37+ mycotoxin page.

Dr. Hawkins recommends testing each time you change your feed or introduce a new feed ingredient in order to properly measure your mycotoxin risk. Going forward, risk levels can change based on fermentation, and we need to watch out for “storage mycotoxins.” There have been forecasts of a dry spring, but the mycotoxin risk is fluid and always changing.

To watch the complete 2020 U.S. Harvest Analysis, click here.

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There has always been a threat of mycotoxin-contaminated feeds in the diets of terrestrially farmed animals as a result of the inclusion of high levels of cereals, and this has extended to include aquafeeds over the past few decades, as higher levels of cereals have become more commonplace. Mycotoxins in aquaculture and fish feed is an emerging and an underestimated problem for the industry.

What are mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are chemical compounds produced by soil-borne "filamentous fungi". These lowly microbes are notorious plant pathogens in cereal crops, while their secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, are dangerous feed contaminants for farmed animals. It is possible for fungi to contaminate cereals in the early stages in the field, or later, during the transportation and storage of the commodities. Their growth, as well as the production of mycotoxins, is climate-dependent. That means that different fungi and mycotoxins bloom in different geographic regions.

For instance, Fusarium fungi flourish in temperate areas, and as a result, their corresponding mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol, is highly present. Similarly, in the tropics, the bloom of Aspergillus fungi is often linked to the release of aflatoxin. Unfortunately, the climate change and extreme weather conditions we are now experiencing may alter the fungal community structure and quantity of mycotoxin-producing fungi. Thus, in the coming years, we can expect an unavoidable and unpredictable increased risk of mycotoxins in our fields and agricultural commodities. 

The hidden threat to farmers

The aquafeed industry has made remarkable attempts to develop sustainable fish feeds by reducing the inclusion of traditionally used marine ingredients and replacing them with novel ingredients derived from crops and their byproducts. Thus, the inclusion of plant-based ingredients in fish diets, along with some known nutritional limitations, also introduces a potential exposure pathway for mycotoxins. To our knowledge, corn and its byproducts are the most highly contaminated with mycotoxins, followed by wheat and soybean products. If we consider the industry's long-term goal of reducing the value chain’s dependence on marine ingredients, then we can expect much higher inclusion rates of plant-derived raw materials in aquaculture feeds. Undoubtedly, these higher inclusion rates of plantstuffs, in combination with ongoing climate change, may boost the presence of mycotoxins in fish feeds, making the challenge of keeping contaminants out of fish feed even more difficult for the aquaculture industry.

Effects of mycotoxins on fish health and performance

Based on our established knowledge from the Alltech 37+ lab database, numerous individual mycotoxins have been detected in fish feed samples. In most cases, more than one mycotoxin is simultaneously present in a feed batch, at unpredictable levels and combination patterns. There are indications that some combinations might have synergetic effects on animals. However, the interactions among mycotoxins that co-occur in the feeds are not well-determined, as most of the research focuses on individual mycotoxins and not their combined toxicity.

An additional challenge to unraveling the effects of mycotoxins in aquaculture is the complexity of the industry itself. Fish farming is diverse and can include different fish species with different life histories, physiologies and, as a result, sensitivities to the toxins. The impacts of mycotoxins depend on various factors, including:

• The type and quantity of mycotoxins in the feed
• Feeding level
• The duration of exposure
• Fish species
• Sex
• Age
• Health
• The nutritional status of the exposed species

The biological effects of the most common mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, fumonisin B1, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin and zearalenone) are described below based on studies on mammals.

As a result of the developing trend of mycotoxins in the aquaculture industry, scientists are undertaking research trials aimed at evaluating the impact of mycotoxins on fish species. Initial reports of the results are focused on growth trials, indicating that we still have quite a long way to go. Regardless of the type of toxin, reduced growth performance and high feed-conversion ratios are often associated with the ingestion of contaminated feeds.

Growth might be affected directly, due to lower intakes of contaminated feeds, or indirectly, due to the molecular damage the toxins induce on the cellular level. In any case, the final output is the same: reduced growth performance for the fish and economic losses for the fish farmers. Unfortunately, mycotoxin contamination is a “silent” enemy for farmers, since most cases are not correlated with visual symptoms. Long-term ingestion of feeds with low levels of mycotoxins or acute exposure to high levels might be a reason for the unexplained mortalities that occasionally are observed in fish farms.

The solution

Sustainability is our priority, and we feel we have a responsibility to establish and maintain an aquaculture industry that protects farmed fish welfare, helps farmers maximize their profits and creates sustainable products that are essential for consumers to live a healthy balanced lifestyle.

To properly manage the mycotoxin risk at the industrial level, it is crucial to examine potential solutions at all of the critical points in the value chain, from the fields to the feed mills. Starting in the fields, good agricultural practices — like growing resistant crop varieties, crop rotation, soil tillage, and chemical and biological control of plant diseases — are recommended.

At the pre-harvest stage, mycotoxin contamination cannot be fully prevented, especially during unpredictable weather conditions. Raw material suppliers should implement methods for rapid mycotoxin analyses in cereal products to accept or reject a batch. Unfortunately, these quick tests can only detect a few toxins, and the regulatory limits vary among different countries. Thus, the responsibility of mycotoxin management in aquafeeds is automatically transferred to the aquafeed producers.

At this final stage, mold inhibitors are usually included in the feed formulations to prevent fungal growth in the finished feeds during storage. Mycotoxins produced in the pre-harvest stage are still present in the feeds and remain almost stable in high temperatures during the extrusion process. As such, feed producers should consider detoxification feeding strategies in order to eliminate the negative impacts of mycotoxins on fish after exposure. 

Among different commercially available detoxification products, enzymes appear to have a high selectivity in transforming mycotoxins to less toxic forms. However, this strategy would only be effective if aquafeeds contained just one mycotoxin. In reality, as mentioned previously, a cocktail of mycotoxins is likely to be present in the feeds, and it is not feasible to supplement an enzyme for each potential toxin. As a result, attention is shifting to more practical and universal solutions, such as mycotoxins binders. In general, organic adsorbents bind with a larger spectrum of mycotoxins than the inorganic ones.

Overall, effective mycotoxin management is about seeing the whole challenge, from the farm to the feed mill and from risk assessment to feed management. The symptoms can be many and varied, but the outcome in all cases will be reduced performance and lost profits. The Alltech Mycotoxin Management team provides a number of solutions to help you mitigate the threat you could face from field or storage mycotoxins. Speak to the aquaculture team today and find out how you can mitigate the threat of mycotoxins in your feed. Email aquasolutions@alltech.com.

I want to learn more about aquaculture nutrition.

The devastating flooding in the Midwest has led not only to human loss but has also destroyed infrastructure, homes and farm buildings — not to mention the additional financial loss due to flooded grain facilities. The images of ruptured grain bins and flooded grain show only a portion of the destruction caused by this disastrous event.

Grain that has been subjected to flood damage is considered contaminated for food and feed use. Grain that was stored in the same facility but did not come in contact with floodwaters can be utilized as normal, but precautions should be taken. Grain from the upper portion of the bin must be removed from the side or the top; due to potential contamination, it cannot be removed through the bottom of the bin. Make sure the electricity is disconnected, as there will be a greater risk of potential shorts and damaged electric motors. Once removed, grain can be handled in various ways, including flat storing and bins.

Flat-stored corn should be closely monitored for temperature and moisture, as moist grain can sometimes flare up in “hot spots” and warm temperatures. When the temperature inside the grain pile reaches 150° F, the grain begins to compost, so it should be mixed or stirred. If the temperature reaches 170° F, the grain may begin to smolder and has the potential to catch fire. Monitor pile temperatures with deep probes or by driving pointed pipes into the pile, followed by lowering in a thermometer. Since this grain could be subjected to rainfall, it is important to continue monitoring it until the grain can be moved or covered.

Grain that is moved to bins will also need to be monitored. Aim for the recommended grain moisture level of 14 percent moisture for storage. Some producers utilize standard natural air bin drying systems with perforated floors and high-capacity fans. Supplemental heat can also help speed up drying time, but take caution not to raise the air temperature more than 10°–15°F.

Along with moisture, grain must also be monitored for mold and mycotoxins. Molds may or may not be visible and, as such, the grain should be analyzed. Mold can produce mycotoxins that impair animal performance and health while also reducing the grain’s nutritional value by lowering its energy level. Propionic acid can help control and maintain mold levels in stored grains, but application rates will vary based on the grain’s moisture level and the percent of propionic acid used in the product.

If it has not been contaminated by floodwaters, grain from flood-damaged facilities can be salvaged and properly removed, monitored for health and moisture in a new storage facility, and analyzed for mold and mycotoxins.

The recent flooding speaks to a larger concern for grain producers in the Midwest, where some areas experienced the wettest 12 months (April 2018 to April 2019) in 127 years. Overall, corn planting in the United States is 6 percent behind the five-year average — but some Midwestern states are even further behind than that. Of the top 18 corn-producing states, five had not begun planting by April 21. Topsoil moisture is at a 29 percent surplus for the entire U.S., with subsoil at a 26 percent surplus. A wet, delayed spring planting can put crops in jeopardy of pollinating and maturing in a more challenging environment. These trials could also subject the plant to mold and mycotoxin infestation.

Visit knowmycotoxins.com for more information on mycotoxin risks and solutions, such as the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis test.

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The KEENAN “Green Machine” has made its way from Ireland to Northern India, with Gurpreet Singh Grewal being the first KEENAN machine owner in the area. Gurpreet has worked in the dairy business for the past eight years and is currently milking 105 Holstein dairy cows on his farm.

Gurpreet is the owner of HG Grewal Dairy farm in Chimna village, Jagroan Tehsil, in the state of Punjab — an area with a continuously growing dairy sector.

Jagroan Tehsil is one of the leading milk belts of Punjab and is home to most of the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association’s active farmers in the state. Milk is the main product from livestock in Punjab, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total value of livestock output.

Punjab is considered one of the most progressive states for the dairy industry in India. Dairy farmers in this area are adopting the latest techniques and technology rapidly, and Gurpreet is among those early adopters. He bought a KEENAN ECO50 in December 2017 after attending an Alltech event, completing research and receiving recommendations from his brother. This is the first time Gurpreet has used a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) wagon.

The KEENAN machine in action at HG Grewal Dairy farm.

“I am very much satisfied with the KEENAN machine performance and its contribution to the overall profitability of the farm, as well as with Alltech solutions and technical support,” said Gurpreet. “I highly appreciate Alltech’s technical help in TMR formulations and Alltech In Vitro Fermentation Model (IFM) lab facilities for testing silage samples.”

Gurpreet is particularly pleased with:

• Gentle mixing of TMR — the cows do not separate the feed, so there is less feed waste
• Uniform mixing of TMR, which leads to no sign of Acidosis
• Uniform Body Conditioning Score
• Good processing and mixing of rye grass, which maintains the structure of the fodder
• Increase in milk production

Soon after Gurpreet started using the KEENAN machine, his farm attained peak milk production of 1,660 litres from 56 dairy cows, from December 2017 to January 2018. This was even without changing the TMR formulation.

HG Grewal Dairy farm currently uses the following Alltech products: Yea-Sacc®, Optigen® and Mycosorb A+®.

Please contact india@alltech.com with an questions.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my dairy herd.

The following is an edited transcript of Tom Martin's interview with Dr. Anna Catharina Berge, veterinarian and owner of Berge Veterinary Consulting. Click below to hear the full interview:

Dr. Anna Catharina Berge, owner of Berge Veterinary Consulting BVBA, is a veterinarian with extensive knowledge and skills combining real-life animal husbandry with epidemiological perspectives of animal and public health challenges. Berge joins Tom Martin from Vosselaar, Belgium, to discuss the use of, and alternatives to, antibiotics in pig production.

Tom:                          Let’s begin with pig production. Is antimicrobial use in pig production a real threat?

Catharina:                 All antimicrobial use has the potential to increase antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Antimicrobials are really vital to humans and animals to protect against bacteria that can cause disease or death. Antimicrobial resistance is threatening the efficacy of these valuable drugs to treat bacterial disease. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in 2014 that the antimicrobial resistance situation is so serious that we are entering a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can kill. This is far from being an apocalyptic fantasy — it’s a very real possibility for the 21^st century. This is not just some journalists writing up some fearful scenario. This was the WHO. So, it is a real threat.

                                 Microbial resistance in pig production is usually a consequence of decades of antibiotic use for disease prophylaxis or growth promotion. The antibiotics administered are not completely absorbed by the animals. If you’re giving an antibiotic to an animal, 30 to 90 percent of those antibiotics are actually excreted through the urine or feces. The antibiotics can reach the source through medical waste, improper drugs or even from dust from pens in barns. These antibiotic residues can also impact the environment and disturb the delicate ecological balance.

                                 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria may also spread into a virus through other mechanisms. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria may also spread to humans through food or through the environment. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria don't just disappear if we stop using antibiotics. They tend to linger. They’re easily created, but they don't tend to disappear quickly. Therefore, we need to do everything to not increase this pool of resistant disease that can spread between different types of bacteria. These resistant diseases can spread from bacteria that are not dangerous and just hanging around in our dust to those bacteria that are really causing disease and even death. If that resistant disease finds bacteria that cause death, then we have a bacterial disease that can’t be treated, and we may die from it. So, resistance is dangerous.

                                 Antibiotic resistance is also an increasing challenge on many pig farms because producers are noticing that good old antibiotics are not working any longer because bacteria become resistant to them. So, they use newer and newer antibiotics. And this newer antibiotic is what the WHO now calls critical antibiotics, those that we want to maintain to treat humans against dangerous disease, so we’re building up resistance to all of these newer antibiotics. The problem is, there are really no new antibiotics created today. The pharmaceutical industry has stopped investing in the research and development of new antibiotic drugs, so we're running out of good drugs to treat bacteria.

Tom:                          You have noted that herd-level immunity, individual pig gut health, systemic immunity, nutritional status, stress levels, and environmental conditions all interact. Why is it important to understand these interactions?

Catharina:                 No animal, organ or cell works in isolation. They all work closely together and, hopefully, in harmony. They all influence each other. So, a pig, furthermore, is living within a very complex production system where you have various factors that can influence its health and productivity. So, unless you take the whole system into account and evaluate this whole system, you don't really know the cost of a disease or why the pig is not doing well. You may think the cause is something other than disease, but it’s really the disease as a consequence of the production system.

                                    Our production systems have not been optimized for what the pig needs and what we want from the pig. We are trying to adapt the pig to our production systems instead of adapting our systems to the pig. This is creating a problem, and one of the solutions has been to medicate with antibiotics.

Tom:                          What challenges do antibiotics pose to the gut health of pigs and livestock?

Catharina:                 Antibiotics can prevent bacteria from reproducing or destroy bacteria. These antibiotics don't differentiate between bacteria that are good for the body and those that are potentially harmful. Some antibiotics work on different threats to the bacteria and some can work against a lot of bacteria types. Others work against just a few.

                                 Many of these antibiotics are used in the feed in pig production for extended periods of time. They have what we call a broad spectrum. They work against a lot of different bacteria. An example of such is tetracycline. These antibiotics can modify the gut flora and reduce diversity of the bacteria in the gut. Therefore, many good bacteria that are helping in many different ways are killed. Some harmful bacterial also are killed, but when the good gut flora is destroyed, then the pathogenic, harmful bacteria have a bigger chance to reproduce and attack the intestinal lining, maybe even invade the body and cause disease. It’s really essential to create a good microbial flora in the pig, and these antibiotics can actually work against them in that way.

Tom:                          Globally, farmers are now showing that it is possible to reduce antimicrobial use without sacrificing performance in health. A key focus has been placed on gut health. Why is gut and intestinal health in pigs so important?

Catharina:                 It’s key to a healthy animal. The gut is responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients that are necessary for the whole body to function properly. Through the food ingested, the pig gets energy — macronutrients and micronutrients — to fuel and support the functions of every single cell in the body. So, if the gut is not working, then the pig’s overall health will suffer.

                                  It’s in the gut that the immune system encounters many potential pathogens that are harmful bacteria. These need to be stopped before they start destroying the intestinal linings or invade the body. In the gut, we have the most immune cells of the whole body. This immunity has high requirements for energy and nutrients and must be in top shape for protecting the pig. If you don't have good gut health, then the immune system doesn't have enough energy to do good work.

                                 A healthy gut, furthermore, has a microflora of bacteria that participates in the digestion of many nutrients. These healthy gut microflora also prevent pathogens from growing and invading intestinal cells. This microflora shows a high level of diversity, and every bacteria species influence each other. So, the healthy gut microflora is also critical to a healthy gut.

Tom:                          What do you think will be the best measures to reduce antibiotic use?

Catharina:                 I like the holistic approach. The best measure to decrease antibiotic use is to optimize the production system and nutrition to better meet the pig’s basic needs.

                                 A first step is to create awareness of the consequences of our antibiotic medicating system and motivate people to change. It’s important for producers to understand that reductions in antibiotic use can be made without compromising the health of the animal or their productivity. But it requires an evaluation of the whole production system and nutrition to identify the weaknesses in every single system because every single system we enter is different.

                                 The easiest part to change is nutrition for the pig and making sure that it’s correct for every single stage of its life and that the pig is not exposed to high levels of bacteria or mycotoxins in the feed and the water. Thereafter, we are starting to look at management changes and housing changes to meet the physiological needs of the animals and protect them from disease from inside and outside the unit. That’s also called “biosecurity,” and that's very important. Thereafter, we need to start looking at how we can boost immunity so that the pig is then able to meet all the challenges.

Tom:                          Among the farms you are working with, what percentage of reduction do you think is realistically achievable?

Catharina:                 I would say most farmers across the world are still using a lot of antibiotics prophylactically to prevent disease, or they use it for growth promotion. And I believe that all of that use can stop. There, again, there has to be a motivation of the producer to change. But, in general, if we go onto a farm, a realistic goal we usually can see without too much of a challenge is a 50 percent reduction in antimicrobial use already within the first year.

Tom:                          What are the components that should be included in any antibiotic reduction program?

Catharina:                 There was a philosopher in 1850 that said if you don't record it, you can’t improve it. So, you have to have an antibiotic use registration system and you have to evaluate it. It’s not enough just to jot down a few notes in a book somewhere. You have to evaluate. Then you have to set targets. You have to ask, “How can I achieve this reduction with those targets?” You need to look at the appropriate nutrition for every single stage of production. All the pigs, based upon where they are and how old they are, have different needs. You need to have appropriate nutrition. You also have to have very good, quality feeds — low microbial levels and low mycotoxin levels. Then you need to look at the management level. How are you moving the pigs around the system? Are you weaning them too young? Are you stressing them at different phases by mixing litters, and so on? So, management systems are very important.

                                 Housing systems need to be evaluated. Many times, we have pigs in old systems where it’s really not optimized for holding them, and we may need to consider rebuilding on a long-term scale.

                                 A very important part is biosecurity. Biosecurity is what we call “disease protection.” You need to protect the animals from disease that is found inside the uterus. That’s called “internal biosecurity.” You also need to protect the pigs from diseases that are not on the farm currently, but could be introduced by animals, vehicles and people. That’s called “external biosecurity,” and that's very important.

                                  You also need to be able to correctly diagnose and treat the clinical diseases in the best way. People don’t always understand what they're seeing and how it should be best treated.

                                 And of course, we have the alternatives to antibiotics that are valuable tools to support health and productivity. We have products that can support microflora in the gut and optimize the strength of the gut lining such as Bio-Mos® and Actigen®.

                                 We have alternatives to boost immunity. Vaccines, for example, are vital to protect the pigs against many diseases. Organic minerals are important to boost the immune system and help the immune system work optimally. So, all of those components are appropriate and are very important to consider in a program.

Tom:                          You have suggested that the goal to reduce antibiotic use should be rephrased to a goal to produce healthy production systems. How do producers look at this challenge as an opportunity instead of a threat?

Catharina:                 Well, I think for that exact reason: Health is not a threat. It’s something we all strive for, whether in our bodies, a healthy business, healthy ecosystem or healthy planet. And producers are realizing more and more that diseases are costly. Furthermore, there is no joy in working with sick animals. Honestly, I have yet to meet a pig producer that tells me that he or she wants to use antibiotics. It’s rather that they believe it's necessary to prevent disease. When we start showing that we can remove the antibiotics without suffering productivity losses or increased diseases, then they start seeing the possibility of moving toward a more sustainable production.

Tom:                          Can you expand on the practical measures a pig operation could implement to develop a healthy production system?

Catharina:                 I would recommend any pig producer that wants to develop a healthy production system seek out a team of experts: consultants, nutritionists and veterinarians who can evaluate the whole system. That is what we call a “whole herd audit.” This audit usually takes at least a day. Based upon this initial audit, there will be various points to address, whether in housing, management, nutrition or disease treatment. You start setting up the concrete plan of what major issues to address and what targets to achieve.

                                  Everyone involved in production, as well as nutritionists and veterinarians, needs to be involved in an antimicrobial reduction plan. Once you’ve set up this plan and you start implementing, it's really important that you have a very good follow-up. Therefore, you should have regular audits to monitor the progress, create accountability for effort and set up new achievable targets as necessary. Alltech has actually developed such a holistic antimicrobial reduction audit.

Tom:                          What is the future of antibiotic use in the pig industry?

Catharina:                 I hope that the pig industry will move toward reducing antibiotics very quickly so that the consumers are not forcing them to completely ban all antibiotics. The future of antibiotic use, as I see it, is that antibiotics will be available for individual treatment of sick pigs or serve a metaphylactic use in the exceptional cases. But all prophylaxis or regular continual use such as growth promotion is stopped.

Tom:                          In the past couple of years, we've seen some significant increases in the presence of mycotoxins in haylage, barlage and silage. Why are mycotoxins important to consider when we're talking about antibiotic reduction?

Catharina:                 Mycotoxins are produced in various unfavorable conditions. As you mentioned, we see them more and more emergent in all our feed sources. They’re very toxic compounds, and they can impact both immunity and health. There are various types of mycotoxins present in most feeds in various levels. We have seen in audits of many pig producers that an underlying reason for poor health and productivity is a high level of mycotoxin exposure.

Tom:                          What kind of effects do mycotoxins have on pigs?

Catharina:                 That is one of the problems — that people don't realize that they have a mycotoxin challenge in their production because the signs are very subtle and diffused. There are various symptoms that the producer does not recognize. Some of these symptoms are, for example, poor feed efficiency, suboptimal growth, digestive distress, various disease problems and poor reproductive performance. Mycotoxins have strong immune suppressors, and that’s one of the reasons why we see more and more disease and why the pigs are susceptible to disease.

                                 All of these mycotoxins — there are many — have different modes of action. But there’s seldom just one mycotoxin present in the feed. There’s usually multiple. When they’re working together, sometimes they can have an additive effect, but sometimes they will have a multiplicative effect. The gut and immune system are first to encounter the mycotoxins once ingested. We have talked about the importance of gut health and antimicrobial reduction audits and programs. It’s essential to address this risk as an aspect of the reduction program. We have always seen in our antimicrobial reduction audits that when we go in and address these mycotoxin challenges and feed through the inclusion of a good broad-spectrum mycotoxin binder such as Mycosorb®, then we see improved productivity.

Tom:                          What consumer demands are driving significant changes in the industry?

Catharina:                 Consumers have high demands on the industry. Today’s consumers want food from animals from a sustainable, animal-friendly system. They also want food from animals that have not been medicated with antibiotics. We have seen that consumers are actually willing to pay a higher price for meat produced without antibiotics.

                                  Animal welfare is another area that has a very high importance for consumers. Measures such as tail docking and castration are increasingly questioned. Since these interventions are often coupled with an antibiotic injection, systems where castration and tail docking are not necessary will have reduced antimicrobial use. Tail docking has been performed to reduce the incidence of tail biting in group-housed pigs. If the animal environment is improved, it is possible to rear pigs with their tails intact. That is the case in Sweden, where tail docking is banned.

                                  An improved group housing system will reduce antimicrobial use in growing pigs. Another area is the group housing for gestating sows, so they don’t stand locked up in small crates all their life. This is also highly desirable by consumers. This also optimizes the health and strength of these sows, and they can rear healthier piglets. The animal welfare requests of consumers contribute to healthy animals that do not need antibiotics. 

Tom:                          Dr. Cat Berge of Berge Veterinary Consulting BVBA in Vosselaar, Belgium. Thank you so much for joining us.

Have a question or comment?

Silage samples from across the U.S., Canada and Europe have shown high levels of mycotoxins, according to the Alltech 2017 Harvest Analysis. The high reading comes on the heels of similar findings in 2016.

As the name implies, mycotoxins are toxic. They can negatively affect the health of animals if contaminated feedstuffs are ingested. The symptoms can be many and varied, but the outcome in all cases will be reduced performance and lost profits.

Produced by certain molds, more than 500 mycotoxins have been discovered to date. Each affects the animal or human in a certain way. Some mycotoxins are carcinogenic, neurotoxic and immunosuppressive.

Climate change and feed storage practices are starting to influence the range of molds occurring in farm feedstocks. And with traditional tilling and crop rotation practices diminishing in many developed countries, mold contamination is persisting year-on-year, making the multiple mycotoxin threat very real.

U.S. sampling shows high mycotoxin count

Samples from American farms submitted to the Alltech 37+^® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory in Kentucky between Sept. 1 and Nov. 1, 2017, show that grains contained mixtures of mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON), fusaric acid and fumonisin.

Fumonisin is commonly found in corn at levels of 2 parts per million (ppm) or less, but this year, testing has confirmed levels well above 30 ppm, and some above 100 ppm.

Forages such as corn silage, barlage and haylage samples also contained multiple mycotoxins in 2017, including DON, fusaric acid, type A trichothecenes (T-2) and fumonisin.

“It’s particularly high right now,” said Dr. Max Hawkins, nutritionist with the Alltech^® Mycotoxin Management team. “In the Wisconsin-Minnesota area, we’re about seven-tenths of a mycotoxin-per-sample higher than a year ago. More of the samples we’re seeing have the mycotoxins in them, and the major toxins that are present are four to five times higher than they were a year ago.”

The Canadian findings are much the same

Samples submitted for the Alltech 2017 Canadian Harvest Analysis indicated high levels of DON and zearalenone (ZEA) in grain and forage.

Submitted between Sept. 1 and Oct. 15, 2017, the samples show that grains contained mixtures of mycotoxins, including DON and ZEA. Forages such as corn silage, barlage and haylage samples also contained multiple mycotoxins in 2017, particularly from mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species of molds, such as DON, ZEA and T-2/HT-2 toxins.

Mycotoxin risk levels high in Europe, as well

The Alltech 37+ lab in Dunboyne, Ireland, analyzed samples of wheat, barley, corn, corn silage and grass silage submitted from across Europe. The grain crops are showing risk levels of trichothecenes from DON and T-2 to swine. Silages are showing risk levels of not only DON and T-2, but also high levels of Penicillium and, to a lesser degree, aflatoxin, according to Alltech’s 2017 European Summer Harvest Analysis.

What’s causing this?

Weather conditions can be a major influence.

“Some areas have seen record levels of rain, some areas are experiencing record drought conditions,” Dr. Alexandra Weaver, Alltech Mycotoxin Management technical specialist, said of the European findings. “That’s going to play a big role in the level of mycotoxins you see as well as what types of mycotoxins.”

Weather factors are also suspected in the United States.

“A lot of areas have gone through a cool, wet summer, and cool, wet weather is the preferred environment for Fusarium mold,” said Hawkins. “Fusarium is the mold that produces DON, T-2, ZEA and fusaric acid. Those are the mycotoxins that can become very problematic, and they already appear to be very problematic this year in the corn silage crop.”

Higher levels of mycotoxins appear to be a lingering legacy of the havoc Hurricane Harvey delivered to the Texas Gulf Coast in mid-August.

“In Texas, we have really dramatically high levels of fumonisin,” said Hawkins. “You can track it northward from where that rainfall came up from the Gulf and across the Texas panhandle into Kansas and Nebraska. The levels of fumonisin will begin to decrease, but they’re still much higher than we would typically see in those areas.”

Weather’s important, but there are other factors

While weather is linked to the higher mycotoxin rates of recent years, Weaver suggested that other important factors are contributing to the scope of the findings, including better detection methods as well as increased awareness among farmers.

“We have better ability to test for these toxins now; different agronomic practices play a role — the idea of ‘no-till’ versus ‘till’ has an influence; the use of fungicides may have an influence,” she said. “So there are things that play into this whole topic rather than just the weather, but certainly weather events with excess moisture are going to have a big impact.”

Watching for co-occurrence of mycotoxins

The Alltech 37+ analysis examines over 40 individual mycotoxins in minute levels: parts per billion. The laboratories are especially vigilant for samples containing more than one type of mycotoxin.

“We have a fairly thorough understanding of the additive effects of mycotoxins,” said Hawkins. “But many mycotoxins can have synergistic effects for DON and for fusaric acid. When you have those two together in the same feed or the same ingredient, one plus one does not necessarily equal two. One plus one may equal three, four or five in terms of magnified or synergistic effects.”

Mycotoxins present researchers with challenging paradoxes. Feeding multiple mycotoxins at low levels can be as detrimental or worse than feeding one mycotoxin at a high level, explained Hawkins. One mold species may produce many different mycotoxins, and several species may produce the same mycotoxin.

Hawkins wants people to be aware of multiple mycotoxins and the risk that they present.

“As you make more complex feeds with more ingredients, you’re bringing more and different combinations of mycotoxins into one place, where the animal will have the opportunity to consume it, so the opportunity for risk goes up,” he said.

Helping farmers gain the advantage

The Alltech^® RAPIREAD^TM  tool delivers an integrated system of tools and technologies to the farm to enable quick on-site analysis.

“It’s a handheld lateral-flow device,” explained Hawkins. “We can take samples on-farm for feed ingredients — corn, grain, distillers grains, corn silage — and we don’t check for a broad array of toxins, we’re looking for one, two or three toxins that could be on a very problematic level.

“So, for example, if we’re in Texas, we might be checking corn grain for high fumonisin levels; if we’re in Wisconsin, we might be checking corn silage for high DON or high T-2 levels,” he continued. “And we can give them that answer on the spot within 10 to 20 minutes.”

Based on the information produced by RAPIREAD, the Alltech team can put together a basic management program to help the farmer mitigate the risk of animals going through a period of stress or suffering.

“When the analysis comes back showing extremely high levels of mycotoxins in corn silage — to the point that they didn’t think that they would be able to feed that corn silage — the Alltech team can show them how they can continue to feed the silage they’ve invested in,” said Hawkins. “Alltech puts together a program, monitoring and tweaking as they go along. We can show them that, if they manage it properly in the right program setting, they can still use a feed that has mycotoxins present.”

Alltech^® MIKO, a program based on HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), identifies the mycotoxin risks within a farm or feed mill and creates a plan to minimize the risks to the animal and protect the profitability of operations.

Alltech’s Mycosorb A+^® reduces the threat of mycotoxins in animal feed. The technology reduces mycotoxin absorption within the animal, negating the damaging effects of mycotoxins on its health.

“Farmers should carefully consider if and how feed with mycotoxins is used,” cautioned Weaver. “Even minimal changes in feed quality can have a big impact on an animal’s production over time.”

Effective mycotoxin management is about seeing the whole challenge, from the farm to feed mill and from risk assessment to feed management.

The Alltech Mycotoxin Management team has produced a number of species-specific fact sheets, which explain the impact of mycotoxins.

For more information about mycotoxins and to view a collection of case studies, visit knowmycotoxins.com.