The Additional Effects of Aflatoxin and T-2 Toxin Combination on Commercial Broilers: I: Effects on Performance Parameters and Internal Organs

摘要

The effects of aflatoxin (AF) and T-2 toxin (T-2) on the performance of broiler chickens were studiedindividually and in combinations. One hundred and sixty eight day-old Cobb broiler chicks were obtained froma commercial hatchery and divided into four groups in 2X2 Complete Randomized Design of three replicatesand fourteen chicks per replicate, with dietary treatments of 0.0 (control), 0.5μg/g AF, 2.0μg/g T-2 and theircombination (0.5 μg/g AF+2.0 μg/g T-2). The chicks were housed in deep litter independent conventionalsystem with feed and water ad libitum throughout the experimental study. The toxin treated birds exhibited asignificant (P≤0.05) decrease in body weight and feed consumption. The relative weights of pancreas, thymusand bursa of Fabricius were also reduced significantly (P≤0.05). These findings were more pronounced in thecombined group. The data from the present study indicate that the presence of AF and T-2 in the diet canproduce a synergistic affect on the performance of the birds.