RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED AFLATOXIN MAIZE-BASED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF MYCOTOXIN BINDER

Abstract

The efficacy of varying levels of mycotoxin binder supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics and serum metabolites of broiler chickens fed aflatoxin maize-based diets was assessed. A total of four hundred and thirty-two (432), one-day-old Hubbard Cobb hybrid broilers were used for the experiment. The chicks were equally weighed and allotted to 12 dietary treatments in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement of an activated clay toxin binder at three different inclusion levels (0 g/kg, 0.1 g/kg and 0.2 g/kg) of feed challenged with 4 levels of aflatoxin B, (0, 40, 60 and 80 ppb). Thirty-six chicks were allocated to each treatment group and replicated three times with 12 chicks per replicate in deep litter for eight weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, the birds were starved overnight prior to blood collection, three birds per treatment were selected on the basis of average pen weight. Blood samples were collected for serum and haematological analysis. Data collected were subjected to One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS software. Results revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences in the total protein (TP) content across the dietary treatments. Interaction between aflatoxin and binder levels showed a significant (p < 0.05) effect only on the Alanine amino transferase (ALT) of the birds. Addition of mycotoxin binder (clay type) to aflatoxin contaminated diets was able to ameliorate the effect of aflatoxin on birds regardless of the level at which it was supplemented. Inclusion of 1 % binder in the diets is therefore recommended and feed ingredients for feed formulations be always subjected to test for aflatoxins.