# Mold in goat feed?



## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

I just bought a new brand of goat grain "farmers lactating goat" I gave a little to my pregnant doe and took a closer look today when I was mixing in some other grain. It looks like it was rolled in loose cotton ball string and there are fibers all over it. Is this mold? Has anyone else had this problem with farmers or other feed? Seems one of my goats has diarrhea this am and I'm thinking it may be related? They all look fine. Only problem is diarrhea.


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## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

Actually cotton seed hulls and meal could be an ingredient in the feed. See if it lists the ingredients. Doesn't sound like mold to me.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Sounds like mold to me. Take the feed BACK. Do not feed it anymore.

This is not a dis to the brand or the provider. Sometimes, accidents happen and a bag will have mold in it. If it happens OFTEN, I'd switch brands/provider.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks for the answer Nancy, I went and looked and whole cottonseed is the 6th ingredient in the feed and I looked at the feed again and the "mold" seems concentrated around teardrop shaped, molasses and fiber covered seeds. Does this sound like cottonseed? Ive never seen it before. Just to be sure I think Ill take a sample to the feed store and see what they think too.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks Caliann. I would def hate to harm my girls, they are quite the investment and we love them of course. If it is mold it was only fed one time to one goat hopefully it wont cause too many problems for my doe. Are there any picture galleries that show moldy feed and the varieties, I would rather be safe. 

Oh, if the seeds are covered in molasses should there even be any clean white fibers sticking out of it? It was the white fibers I noticed that made me think mold.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

"Are there any picture galleries that show moldy feed and the varieties " * I mean the varieties of mold


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Okay, clean, white fibers sticking out of molasses covered feed? DEFINITELY mold. I am heading over to google images for you.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

http://americanagriculturist.com/story.aspx?s=34082&c=9

I sometimes get diplodia in feed if it gets damp or wet...and that is the white, fibrous-looking kind.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Other feed notes: You might want to consider feed without molasses in it for your goats. Molasses is high in sulfur, which inhibits uptake of some minerals in goats.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks Caliann
My original brand is Purina Goat Chow, they use the molasses in the feed as well, any recommendations for feeds that dont? I dont mind the idea of mixing my own just dont know how to make it balanced for healthy girls and I know they need the calcium provided. My goats do love the Purina Goat Chow it but I guess I was sold on the name "lactating goat" from farmers thinking it would give my pregnant doe more of the nutrients that she needs if molasses binds the nutrients it seems that would defeat my plans. I have never seen the hairy look in the Purina goat chow though.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

What does it smell like?


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

Cotton seed hulls fit the description well. Is there a way for you to post pics?


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

pic of cotton seed. I used to feed Tiz Whiz and it had it in it. A good source of fat and protein but shouldnt be used as a sole source.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...GsHLgQfDr4D2Ag&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQ9QEwBA&dur=3057


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Alice, it smells like goat feed to me slightly sweet, it doesnt have an unpleasant odor.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Sounds like cottonseed. Not something I'd want in my goat feed personally, but its a heck of a lot better than mold.
If you switched to a new feed suddenly, that can cause the scours. Or worms or cocci are also good guesses this time of the year.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Cannon, my good camera is broken, I can take a pic but the hairs are very fine and hard to see hopefully it works brb


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks Emily, would one feeding with new feed cause scours? is it instant?


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

It can be. Can one feeding of cheesecake make us a bit constipated? Or one glass of prune juice give us a temporary case of the runs? Depends. It CAN. But other things going on right then in our bodies can make it more or less likely.

My personal feelings is that if the stuff was MIXED with molasses, it would no longer be white. At least, that isn't the case with feeds that have cottonseed meal HERE. Molasses does a really good job of staining stuff.

Is it just a couple of spots here and there? Or is the white hairs ALL through the feed? If it is ALL through the feed, as in, white hairy bits on every bit of it uniformly, then it is probably cottonseed hulls. If it is only on SOME of the feed, and it is not uniform throughout, then likely it is mold.

If it is only a few spots, then the smell of molasses might over power the smell of mold. If there are large areas of white hairy stuff and it is mold, then it should smell musty and kinda fungus-y. Like dust and mushrooms.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

Oh, in either case...if the feed is JUST FINE, I still wouldn't want to feed molasses and cottonseed hull to my goats.

I tend to use dairy lactation pellet that is not specified for goats. Mainly used by dairy cattle companies. Main ingredients are soybean meal, corn, and oats. To that, I add different things to even out my milk stand treats... Rice bran, BOSS, barley...sometimes I top dress with oil. It depends upon the current pricing market and what I am trying to do with THAT goat. 

Does she need to put on weight? More fats.
Trying to increase milk quality/production? More protein.
Does she seem lethargic? Do I want to increase volume? More simple carbohydrates.

A base feed I might mix depending upon what my HERD looks like, and then tweak for each particular doe.

I guess I shouldn't turn my nose completely up at cottonseed hull, though. Considering the state of the corn and soybean crops worldwide, and specifically in Texas, I might end up having to use it myself, whether I like it or not.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

Here are two pictures, they dont show the fibers mixed in the pellets or the fine dusting of powder on a few cottonseed but the mold look is mostly on the whole cottonseeds. I have looked through and found more cottonseeds that are not completely covered by molasses and some that are bare which might explain why there are hairs in the pellets.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z203/kaiamc/100_2195-1.jpg

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z203/kaiamc/100_2196.jpg

I also called the feed store again while typing this (talked to a different person) to ask about mold and lactating goat feed and they said it was the cottonseed that gave it a moldy look, that they all look like that and that the batch was very fresh.
It seems the culprit is probably the cottonseed.


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## NataliaTwoDoes (Mar 24, 2011)

I appreciate all the time you've given for my feed issue, no dust or mushroom smells even with my nose right in it. Its hard not to be suspicious of those little white fibers though especially when they are pretty foreign to my eyes. I was not relishing the idea of lugging that opened 75 lb feed sack back to the feed store, seems I wont have to now. 
I will look into a dairy cow feed pellet for use in the future and they do seem to like whole grains with or without the molasses so it wont be too hard to get them off of it. I am pretty new to dairy goats and Ive got a lot to learn yet so thanks for the tips.


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