I picked up some corn today and after spreading the first bag I noticed it was molded and had bugs in it. The other bags had bugs all over them as well. I'm going to call my feed mill tomorrow, I was wondering if I should even use the other 4 bags??? I wouldn't think it could be good for the deer/hogs/exotics. I'm just spreading it on the ground not putting it in feeders.

What should I do?

If its on the ground is shouldnt matter. As for mold, the pigs LOVE it. The weevles are due to it being there a while in storage, once you poured it on the ground they usually dispurse. It shouldnt hurt the animals at all. But I would mention it to the seed place you got it from.

If you were to put it in a feeder while it was molded or had the bugs in it would only further the problem IN the feeder & contaminate any more good corn you put in it.

With the price of corn today. I'd take it back.

With the price of gas I would use it

Thanks, over $50 worth of corn I expected better quality, but I'm not going to spend $40 in diesel taking it back if I don't have to!

Hey now, he's not going to feed it over weeks, just dump the couple of bags he has on the ground ???????????????

besides deer wasn't in your study

Mold and weevils in corn increases the aflatoxin content. With that small amount there should not be a problem, but I wouldn't feed it all of the time.

I'm probably going to step on some toes here, but I cannot believe you would actually feed moldy feed to wildlife! If there are toxins in it they may not kill something as large as a deer, but there are birds that will come to it to consider also. It takes way less toxins to kill quail and dove and we are talking about just putting it out?

I'm sorry, that is irresponsible to say the least. JMO

Well deerfeeder you've got a good point there. But if he is feeding hogs on the ground, it won't last long anyways, also I use sour corn like everybody else does, what do you think happens to that after it's spread on the ground?? My best bet is the first thing that grows is mold....... But it just depends on how fast the hogs/deer clean it up.

team hillbilly, until recently I haven't had to worry about hogs, but it appears that little problem may be in my future. So, I may change my position on moldy feed as time goes by and hog populations increase, but as of right now I'm in the mode where I do my best to increase "desirable" wildlife populations. Sort of a "do no harm" thing.

I shoulda said take it back, because whoever sold it has a storage problem where water is getting in and the stuff is sitting long enough for weevils to hatch. They might appreciate knowing.

From an article I read a few years ago unless the source of feed is the mainstay of the diet the aflatoxin won't have much affect on them. It seems that the deer and most animals know when to quit eating contaminated feed. The aflatoxin are a natural occurring thing and wildlife seem to know.

For what it is worth, I believe it, you see fat deer and fat other wild animals. But when have you seen an obese animal? The only animals you see that are obese are the domesticated animals and humans.

THANKS HILLBILLY I NEED A GOOD LAUGH!!!
I WAS THINKING I'D TAKE IT BACK TOO, THEN I READ YOUR REPLY, DARN GOOD POINT!

AFTER THAT I'D USE IT TOO AND JUST B**CH ABOUT IT!

Maybe this will help. The primary concern is to the quail and turkey. But mycotoxins from mouldy or bad corn affect all mammals

HUNTERS USE CAUTION WHEN FEEDING CORN TO WILDLIFE
Contact: Neal Wilkins, (979) 845-7726, nwilkins@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Texas hunters and wildlife enthusiasts feed almost 300 million pounds of corn to deer and other wildlife annually, unfortunately, they may be doing much more harm than good.
http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/newsreleases/20030901e.pdf




CORN
Deer hunters in the Texas Hill Country learned long ago that corn will attract deer to hunting areas during years when the natural forage is in short supply and during the winters with a poor acorn crop. On well managed ranges that provide good varieties of natural forage and in years of good acorn production, corn becomes less attractive to deer and hunting gets tougher to say the least.
Regardless of the relatively poor nutritional qualities of corn, it will continue to be used to feed (bait) deer and other wildlife species. The user then should be aware of the term AFLATOXIN, a fungi produced toxin. Aflatoxin is usually produced when corn or peanuts are grown under stress such as drought conditions (high temperatures and low soil moisture). Aflatoxin can pose a serious problem when wildlife species have access to contaminated fields (primarily waterfowl) or through supplemental feeding programs (deer, turkey, quail, doves and non-game birds and mammals). Deer are less susceptible to toxicosis than are birds such as turkeys, quail, doves and non-game birds; however most of these species, if present, will frequent any feeding site where corn is being fed to deer. Turkeys and quail are very susceptible aflatoxin levels higher than 20 parts per billion (ppb).

During 1990, half of the corn tested by the Texas Department of Agriculture contained aflatoxin. Eighteen percent of the samples contained 300 ppb or greater and 31 percent contained 20 to 300 ppb.
It is suspected that large portions of this corn is “dumped” on the market as “deer corn” and sold at reduced prices. It would be advisable for anyone using corn that is to be fed where wildlife species have access to it, to check with the feed dealer to determine the aflatoxin concentration. To be safe, only corn with a guaranteed analysis of 20 ppb or less of aflatoxin should be used in feeding programs where wildlife species will have access to the feed. Mot reputable feed dealers can provide a guaranteed aflatoxin level for their corn. Commercial lab testing is available and usually requires a 5 to 6 pound sample of the corn in question. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0033.pdf



What is aflatoxin?
Aflatoxin is a mold (Aspergillus flavus) found in corn and cottonseed (but also peanuts, sorghum,
soybeans and rice) that is carcinogenic. It is caused by moisture and temperature conditions both in the
field or storage, usually greater than 70 F. Toxic response depends on species, amount consumed, level
of aflatoxin, age, sex, nutritional status and physiological state. The liver is the principal organ affected.
(Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th Ed.)


What is fumonisin?
Fumonisin is a group of toxins (B1 or FB1, B2 or FB2, which are equally toxic, and B3 or FB3, which is
relatively nontoxic) which are produced by fungi (Fusarium moniliforme and F. proliferatum) that causes
equine leukoencephalomalacia, a disease of the central nervous system of equines and is associated wiht
the feeding of moldy corn. Swine may develop porcine pulmonary edema (PPE).
(Merck Veterinary Manual, 8th Ed.)
What is the fumonisin level allowed in a diet?
On fumonisin, a discussion among veterinary toxocologists a few weeks
ago led to affirmation of our prevous recommendations, adopted by FDA:
Equids and rabbits - 5 ppm (no more than 20% of diet)**
Swine and catfish - 20 ppm (no more than 50% of diet)**
Breeding ruminants, breeding poultry and breeding mink* - 30 ppm (no more than 50% of diet)**
Ruminants > 3 months old being raised for slaughter and mink being raised for pelt production - 60 ppm
(no more than 50% of diet)**
Poultry being raised for slaughter - 100 ppm (no more than 50% of diet)**
All other species or classes of livestock and pet animals

Trust me if he has pigs out there its NOT going to last long enough to hurt anything.

It seems like everytime that I buy a corn from academy, at least one bag has mold in it. Sometimes I take it back, sometimes I just take it and spread it out on the ground. It really pisses me off when I open a bag and that smell hits me in the face.

Okay DT just put out a cup full, everyday for the next 50 years (Only if they clean it up everyday)

Any corn that is on the ground will start to mold after it gets damp.......... This includes clean dry corn placed into a water tight feeder,after the timer goes off,the corn will hit the ground. If the deer/Hogs or kids from down the road don't clean it up, first dew falls it's going to start to grow mold. So just use the corn, if it makes you feel better soak it in water with jello for a couple of days,so it sours. Then pour it out for hog bait....

Well I do appreciate everyones input. The two places I am corning right now have hogs in the area, it took the hogs/deer/cows about 4 days to clean up 50# two weeks ago. I'm only going to put out half a bag in each spot and if I have any left over by the time I leave I'll take it back to the feed mill.

I don't recall, even in wet years, corn at any of the places I feed going moldy on the ground. I've seen some sprout that fell into cracks or crevices. I feed around 150 to 175 feeders and the only mold I've found is in feeders that leak. Maybe I haven't seen it since the areas I feed have good deer populations and good quail and turkey populations and it gets cleaned up daily. Good corn...good populations...maybe there is a connection there?JMO

Aflotoxin kills the crap out of turkeys.

The birds will eat the bugs & they will be fine. They usually can tell if something isnt good & wont eat it. Dont sweat the negitive about the corn, you did fine , its on the ground & probably LONG gone.

Ditto on the aflatoxin killing turkeys.

Here's an interesting read from Iowa State University....

AFLATOXINS IN CORN

We had four bags returned to our store last week with person claiming that they contaminated with "aflatoxin"! Unfortunately, I wasn't there to discuss that claim, as I was out of the store! I did inspect the bags when I returned, and the first thing I noticed was that the bags had gotten wet and were still wet, and that there was "mold" in the corn.

Corn must be stored in a dry place, or if the bags get wet, they should be placed upright and allowed to try.

Since the first of April, using a free choice feeder, I have gone thru 1600lbs. of Academy corn and have yet to find even one bag that was "tainted"! That's a lot of 40lbs. bags to be lifting too!