Frequently Asked Questions

A: There is little evidence that I know of with vomitoxin being a problem in forages or silages. When evaluating feeds for it affect on the animal, vomitoxin's primary affect is feed refusal and a secondary effect on production. It is not considered to be an acutely "toixc" compound. Ruminants are much more tolerant of vomitoxin than are many monogastric species such as swine. I am unaware of any evidence to support a claim of hepatotoxicity and deaths due to vomitoxin ingestion are very unlikely. While it may be possible to occasionally find vomitoxin in forages, the molds that produce the mycotoxin much prefer grains such as corn. Therefore, it is unusual to find vomitoxin in alfalfa. Studies done at NDSU have shown good tolerance by beef and sheep to grains high in vomatoxin. However, in dairy the tolerance is still regarded with caution. If you are concerned, call the NDSU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab for a screening of you feed grain before feeding or selling it for grain.

Q: What is the level of tolerance for dairy cattle?

A: The FDA-CVM has established maximum recommended feeding levels of DON for beef cattle, but no standards have been established specifically for dairy cattle. The beef standards are 4 ppm DON, not to exceed 50% of the ration to give a total ration concentration of 2.0 ppm.