COLLEGE STATION -- It's a simple message, but one that wildlife specialists want shouted across the countryside: Feed that is not suitable for livestock likewise should not be used for deer and other wild animals.
"I've received several calls from landowners and hunters asking whether it is OK to feed aflatoxin-tainted corn to deer in feeders," said Dr. Neal Wilkins, Texas Agricultural Extension Service wildlife specialist. "And we, of course, are trying to get out the message that, No, it is not.'"
Wilkins said that because the natural food supply for wildlife is low this year due to drought, animals are more likely to "key in on supplemental feeds," meaning that they would more likely to eat the inferior feed than if other sources of food were available.
He especially warned against buying unlabeled feed.
"There are quite a few self-bagging operations on farms that sell deer corn,'" Wilkins noted. "Anything that is marked deer corn' but has not been tested should not be fed. Only feed that is labeled and tested as suitable for livestock should be used."
The wildlife specialist said that, in addition to being toxic, aflatoxin causes liver cancer in adult cattle and other livestock. Deer and other wildlife are at the same risk, researchers believe.
"Aflatoxin also suppresses the immune system resulting in disease outbreak," he noted. "And the immune systems in deer already are down due to the drought, so they don't need additional stress.
Wilkins noted that although aflatoxin can be immediately toxic, some of the effects are not outwardly visible, so (aflatoxin) poisoning of wildlife is not something that is always immediately. "But you can be certain that it does have a negative effect," he said.
"There are tons of corn that are fed to deer in Texas every year," Wilkins said. "But as a rule, landowners and hunters should not feed corn that has not been tested, and most certainly should never feed corn rejected for livestock consumption because of high levels of aflatoxin. It's better to feed nothing at all."
WFSC