This experiment was carried out in the 1995/96 summer to determine the aflatoxin (AFL) levels ability to decrease turkey performance raised under excellent environmental conditions and also to avaluate a natural sodium bentonite (NSB) efficiency as an adsorbent. One thousand and eight poults were housed in 84 floor pens following a randomized complete block design with 14 treatments arranged in a 7x2 factorial, with 7 AFL levels (0, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000ppb) and 2 NSB levels (0 and 0.5%). At 21 days of age the birds fed without NSB showed body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) reduction (P<0.05) from 500ppb or more of AFL, whereas the birds fed with NSB showed BWG and FI reduction (P<0.05) only from 1000ppb or more of AFL. These same results were observed at 40 days of age, but at 70 days, the BWG and FI reduction was statistically significant (P<0.05) from 500ppb or more of AFL, with or without NSB inclusion. In general, birds fed with NSB had about 15 to 20% less BWG and FI reduction than birds fed without NSB. The feed conversion (FC) was less affected by AFL levels, although it worsened with increasing AFL levels. AFL have greatly affected the mortality rate. At 21 days of age the birds fed with 1000 and 2000pbb of AFL have already presented 15.3 and 72.2% of mortality, respectively and until 40 days all birds fed with 2000ppb of AFL died. However there was a benefic effect of NSB inclusion. Based on theses results can be concluded that AFL are highly deleterious for turkey and that NSB can partialy protect the birds from AFL negativo effects.
turkey; aflatoxins; mycotoxin; sodium bentonite; adsorbent
