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🍏 Dispose of any old out-of-date supplements or feeds