NO ASSOCIATION FOUND BETWEEN THE ASCITES-SYNDROME IN BROILERS AND FEEDING OF OATS CONTAMINATED WITH DEOXYNIVALENOL UP TO 35 DAYS OF AGE

This study investigated the possible effects of feeding broilers oats that were naturally contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) on developm ent of the ascites syndrome. Four groups of 240 birds were fed complet e feed mixtures with graded amounts of contaminated oats giving from . 1 (control) to 3.4 mg DON/kg feed. The broiler chickens were 1 d old a t start of trial and were slaughtered at Day 35. Performance and carca ss quality were not affected by the mycotoxin in the diets. No clinica l signs of ascites or occurrence of other treatment-related lesions we re detected.