Mycotoxins threat to poultry
1. Feed is the key vector for introducing mycotoxins into flocks, but birds can also be exposed to toxins in their litter.
2. Poultry species respond differently to mycotoxin challenges, but the clinical signs of mycotoxicosis can be hard to detect.
3. Common signs of mycotoxicosis in poultry include:
a) Reduced feed consumption
b) Poor growth rates
c) Reduced egg production
d) Reduced feed conversion efficiency
e) Increased susceptibility to diseases
f) Increased mortality
e) Poor egg shell quality
f) Reduced fertility
g) Leg problems
4. Layers: The longer production cycle (70 weeks or more) makes them ideal candidates for chronic mycotoxicosis. This can be further influenced by the increased use of feed by-products in layer diets, which can contain up to three times more mycotoxins than grains.
5. Even a moderate mycotoxin challenge will hit layer production with estimated losses of 0.07 eggs/hen/week causing economic losses to poultry farmers.
6. Broilers: Mycotoxin contamination of feed or litter can suppress the immune system. Mycotoxins can also directly compromise bone strength, feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency and meat quality.
7. Field trials suggest even a moderate mycotoxin challenge could reduce growth rates by 2.5g/day in Broilers.
8. Breeders: Mycotoxicoses are a big threat to commercial breeding units. This is because any reduction in bird fertility or egg hatchability is extremely costly.
9. Upend the normal flow of raw feed materials and Quality concerns with regard to the origin and storage conditions,
10. e.g. Mycotoxin contamination, are becoming topical because Poultry feed contain various raw materials that were produced under different climatic conditions and were transported and stored differently.
11. Producers need to, therefore, prioritize their feed additive portfolio.
12. Intelligent feed additive solutions have been proven to support animal performance in challenging situations boosting productivity.👍
13. Please use toxin binder in feed which minimises the chances mycotoxins in feed.
Dr V. Rajendra Prasad,
Poultry consultant, Hyderabad.
