MYCOTOXINS ▶▶▶
Even low levels of mycotoxins impact broiler performance
New research has shown that even low levels of mycotoxins found in animal feed have a negative impact on the performance of broiler chickens.
BY CHRIS MCCULLOUGH, FREELANCE JOURNALIST A
longitudinal three-year study, the first of its kind in this field, was conducted by Oluwatobi Kolawole at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast in partnership
with agri-technology company Devenish. Published in the Toxins Journal of July 2020, the study demonstrated the nega- tive effects of low levels of naturally-occurring toxic substanc- es, i.e. the mycotoxins found in animal feed, on poultry per- formance and health. Oluwatobi Kolawole, lead researcher at the School of Biological Sciences, said: “It’s well known that mycotoxins at high levels negatively impact animal health, but so far it has been difficult to accurately examine their im- pact at low levels.” Kolawole therefore came up with a long- term feeding trial to evaluate the effect of low doses of myco- toxin mixtures on the performance of broiler chickens which were fed a naturally contaminated diet. “We monitored birds over 18 flocks and continually examined the level of mycotox- ins in line with the performance of the birds. Even though levels of mycotoxins were low, the mixture of those present during the study had a profoundly negative impact on bird health and performance.”
Fascinating results The study showed that an increase in mycotoxins led to an in- crease in Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). Increased levels of my- cotoxins also led to a decrease in feed intake by the birds and a decrease in body weight. Professor Chris Elliott of the Insti- tute for Global Food Security (IGFS), Queen’s University Bel- fast, added: “This piece of research, in partnership with De- venish, revealed fascinating results that are of crucial significance to poultry producers and will undoubtedly lead to future collaboration to further extend our knowledge in this field. While regulatory levels of mycotoxins set by the EU focus on safety, this study was about performance. The nega- tive impact that mycotoxins had on bird performance high- lights the importance of poultry producers being aware of even low levels of these toxins. This is why they must consider how they are going to mitigate the impact of even low levels of mycotoxins in their animals’ diet.”
In a long-term feeding trial to evaluate the effect of low doses of mycotoxin mixtures, 18 broiler flocks were monitored for performance and feed intake.
22 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 9, 2020
Mix of mycotoxins The study identified a specific mix of mycotoxins (DON, FBs, ZEN and DAS) which are relevant for poultry. “For that rea- son, we can conclude that the best way to combat the issue would be through an additive specifically designed to target poultry-specific mycotoxins,” said professor Elliott. Jonny Lester, Poultry Technical Manager at Devenish, said: “This sig- nificant piece of research allows us to offer our customers valuable insights into optimising their animals’ health and performance while positively impacting their bottom line. We have calculated the impact of these mycotoxins on prof- itability. With FCR across crops differing by up to 14 points and each point of FCR resulting in additional feed costs, feeding a species-specific mycotoxin binder, such as Smart- ShieldAV, at low levels all year and increasing it as required, is likely to have significant financial benefits.” Lester states that there are also sustainability benefits to reducing the presence of mycotoxins in a poultry flock. Improvement in this area would reduce the input of raw ingredients such as soya as well as the land use change associated with its use. Reduction in FCR would also have the potential to reduce nutrient excretion and its impact on the environment. “This type of ‘precision nutrition’ research, when applied commer- cially, allows our customers to get closer to the genetic po- tential of their stock and ultimately delivers producers bene- fits in terms of performance, profitability and sustainability,” Lester said.
PHOTO: CHRIS MCCULLOUGH
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
