Penn State Corn and Soybean Management

Health Effects in Livestock of Forages and Grains Post Flooding

The recent flooding of crop fields in the Mid-Atlantic States has raised some serious concerns about the impact such feeds might have on animal health. Crops that were at maturity and ready for harvest, or those under water for an extended period are the most vulnerable. Crops that are heavily contaminated with silt or were inundated with water that was contaminated with sewage or manure are also high risk for causing animal disease.

The types of disease caused in animals by flooded crops are numerous and varied. Some common health problems that should alert producers that they may have a problem include:

Rapid drop in feed intake and depression in milk yield or growth across the herd or flock.
Sudden and serious liver disease that could range from jaundice, to ketosis, to clotting disorders (unusual bleeding), to diarrhea or even death.
Dramatic changes in reproductive performance across the herd or flock that could range from abortions to infertility to excessive estrus signs.
Central nervous system (CNS) disease. This could include an animal(s) that acts "drunk", walks in circles, becomes weak or uncoordinated, goes down, or acts blind.

All animals affected by the diseases mentioned previously should be examined by the private practitioner most familiar with the farm. This is especially important with the CNS diseases, as animals with zoonotic diseases (animal diseases that could affect people) (such as rabies) could act exactly the same way and apart from a laboratory diagnosis be indistinguishable.

Numerous experts have described various strategies to minimize damage to crops, such as inoculants, ensilaging in separate facilities (ag bags), just harvesting of grain and not the stalk, additional testing prior to feeding, and extra cleanings. All that being said, there are no full proof means to ensure that in all cases, health effects in animals from flooded crops can be prevented. Producers should work closely with ag professionals in their region to carefully scrutinize and test damaged crops. Further, producers should be aggressive in discarding suspect feeds prior to significant animal or production losses.

Information provided by David Wolfgang, Field Studies Director, Department of Veterinary Science, Penn State.