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October 3, 2014
The increasing occurrence of ergot not only has serious implications for grain producers on the Prairies, it can have devastating effects on the health of livestock.
That’s why Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has established criteria and standard operating protocols to limit the amount of ergot-contaminated ingredients coming into its feed mills.
“We do very detailed, specified spot checks on every load that comes in,” said Amanda Van De Kerckhove, a ruminant nutritionist at FCL.
“We have a lower acceptance level on ingredients coming in,” she said in comparison to Canadian Grains Commission feed grains standards.
- WATCH: Van De Kerckhove speaks to Real Agriculture on ergot
- READ: Manitoba Co-operator reports on ergot in feed
Ergot is known to produce toxins in grains and grasses, which can cause irreversible damage to cattle, sheep and horses. Causing reduced blood flow, livestock may not gain weight or finish and can be susceptible to frozen ears or tails and gangrene as a result of consuming contaminated feed.
Van De Kerckhove said there is no analytical test fast enough to handle the turnaround in the mill. This is the reason for the importance of thorough visual inspections and lower acceptance levels on ingredients, usually sourced from local elevators and producers.
FCL also limits the amount of screenings – byproducts of seed cleaning such as cracked kernels, hulls, leaves, stems and weed seed – which have a proportionally higher percentage of ergot contamination per volume.
“We only allow 40 per cent screenings in complete feeds…because we know the screenings are high risk,” Van De Kerckhove said. “That’s the part where I think Co-op stands out. I don’t know of another company that will limit screenings in their complete feeds.”
Although Co-op Feeds discourages this practice, rations will be manufactured for producers requesting complete feeds with over 40 percent grain screenings. Producers need to understand the risks and there must be an available source of grain screenings that pass visual inspection upon receiving. Even though a producer must sign a disclaimer, every effort is made to ensure product is not contaminated with ergot.
To increase awareness of this animal welfare issue, Van De Kerckhove is focusing on spreading the message through producer information days and Co-op agro centres. She’s presented at symposiums, works with governmental agriculture departments and collaborates with researchers, offering industry support for research projects.
“Right now, there is no official regulation, so it’s all on us.”
FCL operates six feed mills across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba which have been FeedAssure certified. FeedAssure is a third-party comprehensive feed safety management and certification program developed by Animal Nutrition Association of Canada for the feed industry in 1999.