INTERPRETATION GUIDELINES FOR MOLD & YEAST COUNTS | ||||||
| Mold Counts | ||||||
| 10-10,000 | Relatively Safe | |||||
| 10,000-100,000 | Transition Zone | |||||
| 100,000-10,000,000 | Caution Advised | |||||
| Over 10,000,000 | Feeding may not be recommended. | |||||
| Yeast Counts | ||||||
| < | 1,000,000 | ok for hay, dry corns or grain | Results: | Smell | ||
| < | 4,000,000-5,000,000 | ok for corn silage or haylage | Stomach upset-off feed | |||
| < | 20,000,000 | ok for HMSC | May be able to neutralize with buffer | |||
| > | 1,000,000 | on fermented feeds may indicate unstable feed | ||||
| MOLD IDENTIFICATION | ||||||
| Mold | Color | Toxin Producer | Comments | |||
| Penicillium | Blue/Green | Yes | Several potential toxins associated with certain species. Most common toxin producer in silage. | |||
| Aspergillus | Yellow/Green | Yes/Aflatoxin | Found in drought, heat stress conditions or insect infected fields. | |||
| Fusarium | Red/White/Pink | Yes/Zearalenone Vomitoxin T-2 Toxin Fumonism | Common in cold, wet seasons, certain strains produce extremely potent toxins. | |||
| Mucor | White | No | Found especially in sealed corn. Grow at low temps. | |||
| Rhizopus | Black | No | Requires high moisture and an advanced decay mold. | |||
| Cladosporium | White | No | Symptoms simmilar to yeast. Grow at low temps. | |||
| PREDETERMINED DANGEROUS LEVELS | ||||||
| Aflatoxin - 20 ppb (Upper Limit) | Molds which can produce Aflatoxin: | |||||
| Aspergillus flavus | Most Common | |||||
| Asperfillus parasitticus | Most Common | |||||
| Cattle (sc/cs/hay) | Dairy Cows | Swine | ||||
| Low Level | <5.0 ppb | <20.0 ppb | --------- | |||
| Moderate-High | 5.0 ppb - 10.0 ppb | 20.0 ppb - 100.0 ppb | --------- | |||
| High Level | 20.0 ppb or More | 100.0 ppb or More | --------- | |||
| Zearalenone - 6.0 ppm (Upper Limit) | Molds which can produce Zearaelenone: | |||||
| Fusarium graminearum | Most Common | |||||
| Cattle (sc/cs/hay) | Swine (sm grain) | |||||
| Low Level | <1000 ppb <1.0 ppm | <200 ppb <.20 ppm | ||||
| Moderate-High | 1100-5500 ppb 1.1-5.5 ppm | <450 ppb <.45 ppm | ||||
| High Level | >6000 ppb >6.6 ppm | <500 ppb <.50 ppm | ||||
| Vomitoxin - 6.0 ppm (Upper Limit) | Molds which can produce Vomitoxin: | |||||
| Fusarium species | Most Common | |||||
| Cattle (sc/cs/hay) | Swine (sm grain) | |||||
| Low Level | <1.0 ppm | <1.0 ppm | ||||
| Moderate-High | 1.1 - 5.9 ppm | Approx 1.0 ppm | ||||
| High Level | >6.0 ppm | > 1.0 ppm | ||||
| T - 2 Toxin - 500 ppb ( Upper Limit) | Mold which can produes T - 2 toxin: | |||||
| Fusarium species | Most Common | |||||
| Cattle (sc/cs/hay) | Swine (sm grain) | |||||
| Low Level | <150 ppb <.15 ppm | --------- | ||||
| Moderate-High | <450 ppb <.45 ppm | --------- | ||||
| High Level | >500 ppb >.50 ppm | --------- | ||||
With the wet fall conditions, yeast, mold and mycotocins are a concern for many producers. Below are links to several recent papers and presenations from academic staff regarding these issues. Mold and mycotoxin problems in livestock feeding by Richard S. Adams, Kenneth B. Kephart, Virginia A. Ishler, Lawrence J. Hutchinson and Gregory W. Rothe The 2009 Wisconsin Corn Cropby Patrick Hoffman, Randy Shaver and Paul Esker Dealing with High Yeast Levels in High Moisture Corn and Corn SilageBy Matt Glewen, Limin Kung, R.D. Shaver, and P.C. Hoffman Corn Ear Molds and Mycotoxins in the Field |
