Cattle that consume feeds contaminated with the plant disease ergot can have reduced feed intake, gangrene of extremities, lameness, loss of pregnancy and heat stress. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recommends a concentration of ergot toxins called alkaloids to be no greater than 2.0-3.0 parts per million (ppm). However, the results of two recent studies suggest that the recommended concentrations for both ergot and deoxynivalenol in cattle feed may need to be re-evaluated.

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