A. S. Arafa

Susceptibility of various poultry species to dietary aflatoxin

1. The relative sensitivities of broiler chicks, White Leghorn chicks, quail chicks, goslings and turkey poults to increasing dietary contents of aflatoxin from 1 to 21 d of age were determined. Aflatoxin was included in the diets at three concentrations (0.7, 1.4 and 2.1 mg aflatoxin B1 equivalents/kg). 2. Data were analysed for species differences in food consumption, body weight, food utilisation, mortality and liver pathology. 3. There were no significant effects of aflatoxin in broiler and Leghorn chicks. Aflatoxin at 0.7 mg/kg decreased the body weight of turkey poults but tended to increase the growth rate of goslings. At 1.4 mg aflatoxin/kg food consumption, body weight and weight gain of goslings were adversely affected. 4. Liver damage occurred in goslings and quail chicks at all inclusions of aflatoxin and was extensive at 2.1 mg/kg. 5. Poults and goslings appeared to be the most sensitive, quail were intermediate and domestic chicks were most resistant.

The influence of certain dietary fillers on the true metabolisable energy of diets for Turkeys

1. An experiment was conducted with Large White turkey poults (0 to 3 weeks of age) to study the influence of dietary fillers on the true metabolisable energy (TME) of the diet. 2. When 25 g sand/kg was substituted for the components of a basal diet, growth was not affected and the TME value of the diet was apparently higher than that of the basal diet, but not significantly so. 3. The substitution of 50 g filler/kg (25 g sand plus 25 g grit/kg) resulted in a higher TME value than the substitution of either 25 g sand/kg or 25 g grit/kg, significantly so in the latter case. 4. Substituting 25 g cellulose/kg resulted in a decrease in TME value, but not significantly so.