Influence of fusariotoxins on growing and slaughtering perfomance of broilers

In a feeding trial with 180 broilers the impact of mycotoxin contaminated m aize on growing and slaughtering performance, and on physiological paramete rs was investigated. Four feeding groups with different levels of contamina tion were used in the experiment. Feeding groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were fed wit h 54.6, 36.4, 18.2 and 0 % uncontaminated and 0, 18.2, 36.4 and 54.6 % high ly contaminated maize, respectively. Highly contaminated maize contained 9. 8 mg Desoxynivalenol, 1.04 mg Moniliformin, 1.43 mg Beauvericin and 0.105 m g Fumonisin B1 per kg. Other components of the diet were 31.4 % soyabean me al, 4.4 % oil, 3 % maize gluten feed, 3 % grass meal, 0.051 % L-lysin-HCl, 0.141 % DL-methionin, 1.22 % limestone, 1.63 % dicalcium-P, 0.15 % salt, 0. 16 % NaHCO3, 0.015 % vitamin premix, 0.040 % trace element premix, 0.080 % cholin-Cl and 0.050 % Monensin-Na. At the end of the growing period (37 day s) the chickens of feeding group 1, 2, 3 and 4 had a live weight of 1896, 1 942, 1904, and 1943 g and the feed conversion rates were 1.81, 1.77, 1.83 a nd 1.82 kg/kg LW-gain, respectively. The contaminated diets had no negative effect on live weight gain, feed conversion rate and liver weight, but did significantly (P < 0.01) increase heart weight. The chemical composition o f carcass and the physiological parameters of the blood (AST, LDH, triglyce rid and cholesterin) were not affected. The experiment shows, that maize co ntaminated with Fusarium toxins had no negative effects on growing and slau ghtering performance and on meat quality (tenderness, juiciness and taste), and on blood parameters. As the present investigation shows, the negative effect of Fusarium toxins has been practically overestimated, and Fusarium toxins were probably unjustifiedly blamed for many problems in broiler prod uction.