Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Keeping Rodents Out of Your Feed Room

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Clair Thunes, PhD
Oct 9, 2017

As an equine nutritionist who visits lots of feed rooms, I come in to contact with my fair share of rodents. At one large facility that backed a stream I came within three feet of several large rats snacking in the feed room. I didn’t seem to bother them at all, and the barn cat who was sunning himself in the doorway seemed to have decided they had him out numbered.

With cold weather coming and native food sources becoming scarce, the attraction of food and bedding provided by our feed and tack rooms makes these unwanted guests almost a given. However, there are several important reasons why you should not accept the presence of these critters in your feed rooms.

The No. 1 reason is disease. Rodents are known to carry several diseases transferable to both horses and humans. Their feces and urine can contaminate feed with diseases such as salmonella, leptospirosis, and trichinosis. Rodents also carry fleas, mites, and ticks...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/39779/keeping-rodents-out-of-your-feed-room?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=nutrition&utm_campaign=10-09-2017

No comments: