Effect of raising dietary protein, amino acids and/or energy levels as an attempt to alleviate severity of the chronic aflatoxicosis by broiler chicks. 1. Performance and toxicity symptoms

Abstract

In an attempt to alleviate the aflatoxicosis symptoms by broiler chicks fed on low (50 ppb) aflatoxin-contaminated diet; the dietary nutrients were elevated by 2.6% for protein, 0.54 MJ ME/kg for energy or 0.5% for each of methionine and lysine. These supplements were mixed altogether and applied as well. All the experimental diets were offered for a 6-week period followed by a 2-week period on aflatoxin--free diet without supplements as a withdrawal period. It was proved after the treatment period that the raising of energy concentration was beneficial to overcome the aflatoxin effects on the body weight, feed conversion rate, and dressing (eviscerated weight) percentage and stability of relative weights of liver and kidneys. Additionally, the supplements' mixture improved the body weight and the relative weight of the liver comparing with the chicks fed on the aflatoxin diet without additives. All of the contaminated diets, except that of the high energy, caused apparently toxic symptoms besides the internal gross pathology. The high energy diet reflected the lowest mortality rate, whereas the highest was with the amino acids supplemented one. The withdrawal period resulted in lower differences among treatments in the body weight. It improved also the dressing percentage (significantly) and to some extent the results of the post-mortem examination.