EFFECT OF SELECTED SUPPLEMENTAL FEED ADDITIVES ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF LAYING CHICKENS FED MOULDY DIETS

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplemental Retinol, tocopherol, multi- vitamin and a commercial binder on the production performance and egg quality characteristics of laying chickens fed mouldy diets. One hundred and eighty laying birds were used for the eight-week study. The experimental birds were completely randomized into six treatments in three replicates lots of 10 birds each.The control group was fed Aflasafe maize-based diet while birds in treatments 2 to 6 were fed mouldy maize- based diets without supplement, with retinol, tocopherol, multi-vitamin or a commercial binder supplements respectively, Results of aflatoxin and vitamin determination showed a substantial depreciation in both retinol and tocopherol contents of the mouldy maize to the tune of 48% and 37% loss respectively. Similarly the aflatoxin content rose from near zero in aflasafe maize grains to 267"g in mouldy maize. In terms of performance, the control group had the best body weight gains, hen-day production and conversion efficiency. This was followed by the vitamin supplemented groups which were similar (P>0.05) to control. Egg quality differs (P<0.05) only in terms of shell thickness and yolk colour. The commercial binder tends to have superior values (P>0.05) over vitamin supplements in shell thickness and compare more closely with the control while a significantly low values (P<0.05) were obtained for birds on mouldy non- supplemented diet. Supplementation of vitamins A, E or continuous use of vitalyte on birds fed mouldy diets at the tested levels in this study may be encouraged in layers' production because mould contamination is ubiquitous and practically difficult to eliminate completely in pouliry feed.