November 3, 2020
DON in Swine Diets
Fusarium mould contaminated grain has been on the rise due to cool wet summer weather. The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON or vomitoxin) can be produced when fusarium moulds contaminate cereal grains. Other livestock are not as sensitive to DON as pigs are with the guideline being under 1 ppm (1 mg/kg). After ingestion, feed intake decreases and so does weight gain. At higher levels, pigs often refuse feed completely or vomit. Younger pigs are more sensitive with a maximum of 0.5 ppm for nursery pigs. Small samples from different areas of grain is the most effective way to test for DON as it is not spread uniformly across the grain.
