Effects of mould and toxin contaminated barley on laying hens performance and health

Moulded and mycotoxin containing barley was incorporated into the diets for laying hens to study the effects on performance and health. Health indicators were different blood plasma parameters and liver vitamin A and E levels. A total of 30 hens were fed 3 diets, one supplemented with 30% of toxin‐free and two with differently moulded barley from 1997 and 1998 for 7 weeks. The moulded diets contained low to moderate concentrations of ochratoxin A, zearajenone, deoxynivalenol and nivalenol. Inclusion of mouldy barley in the diets had an adverse effect on feed intake, feed conversion, digestibility of nutrients, egg production and egg quality. Plasma alkaline phosphatase was increased and certain biochemical blood parameters (bilirubin, uric acid, chlorine, protein, albumin, vitamin A) were also higher or changed compared to control. The ochratoxin A contamination although relatively low could have contributed to some of these effects as well as reduced intake of feed. The higher mould contamination and an unidentified cell‐toxic constituent in the diet containing barley from 1998 can probably also explain the more marked effects from this diet.