Effect of dietary fumonisin B1 on laying Japanese quail.

1. A 28-d experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of fumonisin B1 (FB1) on egg production and egg quality of young laying Japanese quail fed on fumonisin-contaminated rations. 2. To this end, 128 7-week-old birds were randomly distributed into 4 experimental groups (32 birds per group) and given rations containing 0 (control), 10, 50 and 250mg FB1/kg feed. Each treatment consisted of 4 replicates of 8 quail. Egg production and egg weight were checked daily. Feed consumption and feed conversion were determined weekly. Eggs laid on the last day of each 7-d period were collected and subjected to individual analysis for specific gravity, Haugh units and percentage eggshell. 3. Compared with controls, quail given > or = 50 mg FB1/kg had reduced feed intake and lower body weight gain. Feed conversion was reduced only in birds given 250 mg FB1/kg. 4. Mean egg production and egg weight were lower in birds given 250mg FB1/kg. Eggshell weight was reduced in birds given > or =50mg FB1/kg. However, mean specific gravity, Haugh units and percentage eggshell were not affected by FB1. 5. No histopathological changes were observed in liver, kidney or heart samples from any treatment group. 6. The results indicated that exposure to FB1 at concentrations > or = 50 mg/kg could adversely affect quail performance, emphasising the importance of controlling fumonisin contamination of quail rations.

Effect of low levels of dietary aflatoxin B1 on laying japanese quail.

In the present study, 256 7-wk-old Japanese quail were randomly distributed into four experimental groups (64 birds per group) and given rations containing 0 (controls), 25, 50, or 100 (g aflatoxin B, (AFB1)/kg feed for 168 d. Each treatment consisted of four replicates of 16 quail. Egg production and individual egg weight were checked daily. Feed consumption and feed use were determined weekly. Eggs laid in the last day of each 28-d laying period were collected and subjected to individual analysis for specific gravity, Haugh units, shell thickness and percentage eggshell. Results showed that average egg production, feed use, and body weights were not affected (P > 0.05) by AFB1. However, feed consumption was lower (P < 0.05) for groups fed 50 or 100 microg AFB1/kg. Egg weight was significantly lower (P < 0.05) only for groups exposed to 50 and 100 microg AFB1/kg. Average egg specific gravity, Haugh units, and shell thickness were not affected (P > 0.05) by AFB1. Percentage eggshell was higher (P < 0.05) in the group fed the ration containing 100 microg AFB1/kg. Treatment associated lesions were observed only in the liver. Hepatic cell vacuolation with fatty infiltration was observed in all liver samples of quail fed AFB1-contaminated rations. Bile duct proliferation and trabecular disorder were found only in livers of quail on the 100-microg AFB1/kg treatment. Results indicated that chronic exposure to AFB1 at levels above 50 microg/kg could adversely affect quail performance, emphasizing the importance of controlling aflatoxin contamination in quail rations.