# livestock grain for human consumption



## Willow (Nov 27, 2010)

I've been trying to find out about livestock grains and their suitability for human consumption in times of emergencies. Is it possible to use whole oats ment for horses for human use? Also, is the whole or cracked corn something that could be used? Just looking at all options for stocking up.

Willow


----------



## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

The grains packaged for human consumption are harvested from the same fields destined for animal food. I don't think the cleaning standards are as high with animal feed but again, I'm not sure about that. Check with your feed supplier to see if any additives such as antibiotics, hormones, etc. have been added to the grain. They should know because a lot of people who buy it for their livestock don't want that stuff in it either. 

I certainly wouldn't use it for the first line of food storage without doing more research but if it's a choice between starving or taking your chances??? Desparate times call for desparate measures!

We keep some around for our livestock AND to give away to beggars. We figure if they're desparate enough to eat it then they are truly in need of the help. We also figure it will cut down on the people who only want a handout but want to be picky about it.


----------



## SurviveNthrive (May 20, 2010)

Thank you for this post, it's a possible option worth looking into. While grains aren't expensive, they aren't exactly cheap in the amounts needed.


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Some say yes ... some say no ...

I agree with mosquitomountainman ... Desparate times call for desparate measures! 

With that said ... I have a friend that gets both wheat and oats (sold as animal feed) from a local Amish farm and she is using both now for human consumption.


----------



## Willow (Nov 27, 2010)

This is great information. Thank you everyone. I'm going to have a chat with the feed mill this week and hopefully I can talk about it in a way that doesn't make me sound like I'm crazy. I don't know if any at the mill are preppers so need to approach this topic carefully.

Anyone else here use livestock feeds this way?

Willow


----------



## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

Willow said:


> I've been trying to find out about livestock grains and their suitability for human consumption in times of emergencies. Is it possible to use whole oats ment for horses for human use? Also, is the whole or cracked corn something that could be used? Just looking at all options for stocking up.
> 
> Willow


 grain sold for human comsumption is just double or triple cleaned, you could alway dump grain from one bucket to another in front of a fan on high to blow out more of the chaft and debris. always store whole dent corn for long term.


----------



## dunappy (Nov 11, 2008)

Just remember that livestock grains are not as clean as those for humans and there are several medical conditions that can result from uncleaned grains.

Ergot poisoning
Convulsive symptoms

Convulsive symptoms include painful seizures and spasms, diarrhea, paresthesias, itching, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Usually the gastrointestinal effects precede central nervous system effects. As well as seizures there can be hallucinations resembling those produced by LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide, to which the ergot alkaloid ergotamine is an immediate precursor and therefore shares some structural similarities), and mental effects including mania or psychosis. The convulsive symptoms are caused by clavine alkaloids.

Gangrenous symptoms

The dry gangrene is a result of vasoconstriction induced by the ergotamine-ergocristine alkaloids of the fungus. It affects the more poorly vascularized distal structures, such as the fingers and toes. Symptoms include desquamation or peeling, weak peripheral pulses, loss of peripheral sensation, edema and ultimately the death and loss of affected tissues.

Aspergillius from corn mold


----------



## SaskBound (Feb 13, 2010)

You also need to watch for stones that could break your grinder (or teeth). Even with triple-cleaned, human-grade legumes and grain, I always pick them over before using it. And I still find the occasional bad grain or small stone.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

If I were looking for food grain I would aproach a local farmer (well actually I would just grow my own but not everyone has that option) Make up a story about needing it for somekind of group project , pay cash Grain has to be one of the cheapest LST foods in existance.


----------



## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

The corn that we buy at TS is marked on the tag: that goats can eat it. If it states that then you can consume it because MOLD will kill a goat and it has to be clean and free of mold. We have 5 bags stored.


----------



## NotAGrasshopper (Oct 25, 2010)

Be careful with corn. Since seeing "deer corn" at Cabela's for $5 for a 50 pound bag, I've been researching the corn and aflatoxin issue.

Aflatoxin is a wickedly poisonous human carcinogen that grows on corn (among other crops) under certain conditions. 

The labeling requirements vary from state to state, but it appears that here in Texas, corn with an aflatoxin content of <20ppb (parts per billion) doesn't need to be labeled as to its aflatoxin content and is considered safe for human and all animal consumption. That means that "deer corn", as long as its label is either silent re aflatoxin -or- indicated content <20ppb, is approved for humans. Above 20ppb and up to 50ppb it can be used as wildlife feed but *must* be labeled as to its aflatoxin content. Above that it is approved for certain animal uses (fattening cows for slaughter, for example) but not wildlife or human consumption.

I wouldn't buy corn directly from a farmer. Corn is typically tested for aflatoxin when it is delivered to a licensed grain elevator. Farmers don't have the equipment required to do the testing and who knows if you might be buying something he tried to sell to a grain elevator but was rejected?

I just read a scientific paper that said that aflatoxin is stable under most corn preparation methods (baking with cornmeal, cooking grits, etc.) but interestingly, the toxin is unstable in a nixtamalization process as Mexicans and Central Americans use to process corn into hominy and further into tortillas or masa.

Desperate times might indeed call for desperate measures but times aren't desperate right now. There is plenty of time to source and store human-grade food.


----------



## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

You shouldn't eat ANY of that crap unless you're going to die if you don't!
My brother drove a chicken feed truck,he's told me plenty of horror stories about what it does!

Pullets so fat their legs break.

Birds dying minutes after eating "starter" feed.

Two foot long rats.

And every guy working in the place it was made weighed 300+ pounds,this was just sprayed with hormones,we haven't seen what the GMO crap will do,I know I can't eat most corn anymore,makes me violently ill.


----------



## azurevirus (Jan 20, 2009)

*animal grains*

I remember 30 yrs ago when we had a farm with cows..dad would get those oats or whatever and they had molasses or something in them..they tasted pretty good..my old Husky loved that stuff


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Magus said:


> You shouldn't eat ANY of that crap unless you're going to die if you don't!
> My brother drove a chicken feed truck,he's told me plenty of horror stories about what it does!
> 
> Pullets so fat their legs break.
> ...


I've heard more that a few of the horror stories.  It makes one open their eyes.


----------



## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

azurevirus said:


> I remember 30 yrs ago when we had a farm with cows..dad would get those oats or whatever and they had molasses or something in them..they tasted pretty good..my old Husky loved that stuff


I believe that that was 100% sweet feed. My bil has been eating it for years.


----------



## Freyadog (Jan 27, 2010)

NotAGrasshopper said:


> Be careful with corn. Since seeing "deer corn" at Cabela's for $5 for a 50 pound bag, I've been researching the corn and aflatoxin issue.
> 
> Aflatoxin is a wickedly poisonous human carcinogen that grows on corn (among other crops) under certain conditions.
> 
> ...


The corn that we get from TS has been tested for Aflatoxin and is labeled tested and Aflatoxin free. Goats can not have it unless it is Aflatoxin free.


----------

