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Feeding DON-Contaminated Wheat To Pigs

Jul 11, 2016
By Bob Thaler, PAS
Professor & SDSU Extension Swine Specialist
 
Deoxynivalenol-Contaminated Wheat
 
Based on a recent report by Dr. Emmanuel Byamukama, Differentiating Between Wheat Head Diseases and Disorders, it appears that conditions are right for Fusarium head blight (or scab) growth in South Dakota, which leads to the production of the mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat. While DON-contaminated grains can cause problems for livestock, pork producers have several options when dealing with this situation.
 
Swine Feed Considerations
 
Deoxynivalenol does not cause health or reproductive problems in swine, but when the total concentration in the diet reaches above 1 ppm, pigs will eat less feed, or in some cases, simply vomit and then quit eating completely. That’s why DON is also commonly known as “Vomitoxin”. This decrease in feed intake will result in slower gains but not death. There are some commercial products available that bind the mycotoxin aflatoxin, but they are not effective in completely alleviating the effects of DON. Therefore, if a producer wants to use DON-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 wheat 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.
 
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