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  Discussion on Pelleted feed smells like a brewery
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Member:
lindas

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 11:55 pm:

I bought 3 bags of pelleted feed (Legends Show and Pleasure) like I always do to fill up my feed bin about 2 weeks ago. I did not allow the feed to get wet or handle it any differently than usual. It has been hot and humid the last few weeks, but not any more than usual this time of year. I keep my feed in the tack room in my barn, with an attic fan circulating air through the room during the hot daytime hours. The bin is a black rubber storage tub with a tight rodent proof top. I left last Thursday to go to a show with my daughter, and when I got back on Sunday night I noticed a barely perceptible alcoholic smell to the feed. Tonight it smells strongly like a whiskey distillery. My kids had started feeding the horses, so I ran and grabbed the feed right out from under them, they got about 1 1/2 pounds of feed each before I could take it away. I e-mailed the company this evening but of course they won't respond until at least tomorrow. Tomorrow I am going to take a feed sample by the distributor and see what they say. I have never seen fermentation of feed like this before. There is no obvious mold or excessive dust.
My questions are: is this primarily from the heat and humidity? Is it likely to be a manufacturing problem or related to the method of storage? Should I put a screen over my feed bin in the summer instead of keeping it locked up tight? And of course, do you think I have anything to worry about since my two horses each got a pound and a half of this feed tonight. They have been eating it since I noticed an extremely faint alcoholic smell a couple of days ago, and have been fine. I did not pull the feed until it hit me in the face this evening.
(Maybe I should invite my friends over for a beer making party!)
Member:
scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 6:03 am:

Hi Linda, I ran across feed like that at the barn I use to work at it yrs. ago, it was sweet feed tho. They bought their grain in bulk bags. I reported it to the owner and they said to use it, against my better judgement I did, the horses ate it o.k. After dumping a few bags I found one with mold.

I also had that smell once with my own horses, it was pelleted too. I examined the feed it looked fine, the horses ate it, but not enthusiastically

Then one day in the bright sunlight I saw small speckles of green mold on the pellets. wasn't visible with my tack room light. Both of the incidences were in hot and humid conditions. None of the horses that ate this before discovery of the mold got sick thankfully. That is my experience with brewery smells

I'd get rid of it if it don't smell "normal"
Member:
paardex

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 6:54 am:

So would I altough we had a shetland pony who loved beer..
Jos
Member:
lindas

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 8:04 am:

Oh, yes. I am getting rid of it. The horses are getting no feed this morning...they can eat grass. I am expecting dirty looks! Actually we only have about 3/4 bag left so I was going to the feed store today anyway. It was after dark when I discovered the smell, so I will look for mold today. Having spent a lot of time on dairy farms I must say the the smell reminds me of silage.
My horses always sniff and nuzzle beer bottles but when I pour it out in my hand they turn away. They just like to get slobber and sawdust on anything I happen to be drinking...tea and coffee cups, soda bottles, water, etc. Then they say, "no thanks." Crazy kids!!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008 - 5:46 pm:

The similarity to silage makes me think low molecular weight organic acids, like alcohol it is a fermentation product, and does suggest the heat and humidity contributed to this. It is unlikely to be harmful to your horses but I agree if it does not look or smell right you don't feed it. If you detect condensation in your feed bin, consider something less airtight like a wooden box.
DrO
Member:
lindas

Posted on Thursday, Jul 17, 2008 - 11:11 pm:

Mystery solved! I heard from the Equine Nutritionist at Southern States. He says they use some Distillers Dried Grains in the Legends Show and Pleasure product, to help make it more palatable and nutritious. Some batches are more aromatic than others and the heat and humidity makes it worse. He says it is not dangerous. They do use a mold inhibitor in their feeds. Before I heard from him I had decided that my feed smelled like the Jack Daniels Distillery, which we visited several years ago. Well, guess where the Distillers Dried Grains come from? Yep, Jack Daniels!
Anyway my horses were somewhat reluctant to eat the feed even though I would not give it to them. The company told me to take the feed to the store and they will give me a new bag from a different lot. I did that and the new bag smells fine.
By the way there is no moisture or condensation on the inside of my tub. I am considering using a heavy screen over it instead of locking it up tight in the summer to prevent problems.
Here's to Gentleman Jack! -- Linda
Member:
scooter

Posted on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 6:40 am:

Interesting.... the worst hangover I ever had was from JD in my younger day. Where do you keep your tub for the "grain" The concerns I would have about a screen would be attracting bugs, rodents, and critters in general like racoons. Or the horses getting out and raiding the feed tub if it is accessible to them at all.

I finally started just dumping half the bag when it was hot and humid and kept the rest in my basement. Now I keep it all in my basement....I had that midnight raid of the feed tub, horses got out of a very sturdy fence into the tack room. I kept my "grain" in a garbage can with those snap handles, had it tied with twine string and they only got a little that leaked out the lid of the tipped over rubber maid garbage can thankfully

Member:
paardex

Posted on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 - 7:06 am:

Well I wouldn't like my'aperitif' mixed in with my food either. Just offer them the JD or a beer first and let them have their meal after. Making food more palatable with JD... The US stories keep me amused
Jos
Member:
lindas

Posted on Sunday, Jul 20, 2008 - 11:38 pm:

Yes, I thought that was really funny too! I remember somewhere from an agricultural nutrition course in college that distillers dried grains are a good source of vitamins. And I guess the horses like them also. Good use for a byproduct of the booze industry that otherwise would be thrown out, I guess. I have researched this product and company pretty thoroughly so I will stick with this feed for now as long as my tack room does not start to smell like a bottle of JD.

Diane--I keep my grain in a tack room that is supposed to have a latched door at all times. We tried locking the tack room but the key kept getting misplaced, so we gave up on that idea. We secure the horses stalls and pasture gate with metal clips so that they can't open the latches if they decide to play with them. Each stall has two latches, one of which is low enough on the door to be (theoretically) out of reach. It would be possible for the horses to get in there if somebody forgot to put the clips on their stalls and they opened the latches. We are careful but accidents happen. It actually is a much better set up than in most barns I have visited. Actually I don't think I will need the screen. It's been hot and humid the last two days and the new feed still smells just fine. I cleaned the feed tub out with bleach water and allowed it to dry in the sun before putting any new feed in it. It must have been just that lot, though I like your idea of keeping the extra bags in the house. Thanks everybody! Linda
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