How clean is your feed room?
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of our feed room, the floor is cleaner than my kitchen floor! (and my kitchen is pretty clean!)
Why is it important to keep a feed room, feed buckets and mixing utensils clean?
🐴🍏 Horses are very susceptible to mould and mould toxins (mycotoxins) which can make them ill
🐴🍏 Untidy feed rooms encourage rodents, birds and insects, which are unhygienic and can spread disease
🐴🍏 Some feed ingredients naturally contain mite eggs and if they are spilt or left after their use-by date, mite infestations can result. These are unhygienic and make feed unpalatable
🐴🍏 Cross contamination with prohibited substance for competing horses is more likely in a messy feed room that isn’t kept clean (e.g. medication such as ‘bute, herbs, human snacks like chocolate)
Clean feed room tips:
🍏 Regularly brush floors and dust surfaces
🍏 Thoroughly wash feed bowls and mixing utensils after every use
🍏 Use different feed bowls and utensils for competing horses
🍏 Keep all feeds stored in airtight rodent-proof bins or containers
🍏 Keep supplements in airtight containers and decant any that come in bags or sachets that aren’t airtight
🍏 Have a good system of stock control in place
🍏 Keep everything tidy and avoid clutter
🍏 Dispose of any old out-of-date supplements or feeds