EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLAY FOR REDUCING THE DETRIMENTALEFFECTS OF AFLATOXIN-CONTAMINATED DIETS ON PERFORMANCE AND SERUM PROFILES OF WEANLING PIGS

Three trials were conducted with recently weaned pigs (n = 198) to det ermine the effects of feeding different types of clay in conjunction w ith aflatoxin-contaminated diets. In Trial 1, pigs (n = 54; trial leng th 4 wk) were assigned to either an uncontaminated treatment (NC), 800 ppb of aflatoxin from contaminated corn (AC), or AC with one of four clays. In Trial 2 (n = 81; trial length 5 wk), pigs were assigned to N C, AC (500 ppb of aflatoxin from rice starch), or AC with one of seven types of clay. In both trials, pigs fed AC had decreased ADG and gain ;feed ratios (P < .05) compared with controls. The clays differed in t heir ability to produce gains similar to those of controls. The clays did reduce changes in the serum measurements normally affected by afla toxin, including albumin, total protein, gamma glutamyltransferase (GG T), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, in a manner similar to thei r effect on ADG. In Trial 3, pigs (n = 63) were assigned to one of sev en diets for 4 wk: NC, AC (800 ppb of aflatoxin) with no day, AC with one of four levels of a treated Ca bentonite (. 25, .5, 1, and 2%), or AC and .5% hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate. The addition of t reated Ca bentonite to AC improved ADG (P < .05) and ADFI (P < .01) li nearly. Gain:feed ratios were not affected by treatments. The inclusio n of treated Ca bentonite to the AC diet linearly decreased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and quadratically decreased ALP and GGT levels (P < .05). Feeding certain clays can effectively prevent some o f the negative effects associated with feeding AC to weanling pigs, an d some clays are more effective than others.