Aflatoxin effects in livestock

Feeding trials were conducted with swine, beef cattle, dairy cattle and poultry to determine adverse effects, if any, of graded levels of aflatoxins in rations. In addition, samples of meat, eggs and milk from these animals were analyzed chemically to determine if aflatoxin was transmitted into these products. In growing‐fattening swine, no evidence of toxic effects was observed when the aflatoxin level fed was 233 ppb or less. In a swine reproduction experiment, no adverse effects were detected in pigs produced from sows fed 450 ppb aflatoxin. No toxic effects were observed at levels of 300 ppb or lower in cross‐bred beef steers fed aflatoxin rations for 4.5 months. Using recognized chemical methods, we detected no aflatoxin in meat from swine and cattle fed rations containing 800 and 1000 ppb of aflatoxin, respectively. In dairy cows, weekly intakes of 67 to 200 mg of aflatoxin B 1 per cow produced 70 to 154 ppb aflatoxin M 1 in lyophilized milk. Rapid disappearance of aflatoxin M 1 in the milk took place after withdrawal of aflatoxin from the ration. No adverse effects were discernible in broilers fed from one day to eight weeks of age a ration containing 400 ppb aflatoxin. Lyophilized meat from broilers fed 1600 ppb aflatoxin for eight weeks contained no detectable aflatoxin. Striking differences in aflatoxin susceptibility were observed in 17 different breeds and strains of poultry and game birds fed from two to six weeks of age a ration of 800 ppb aflatoxin B 1 . New Hampshire chicks and turkey poults were highly susceptible to aflatoxin in contrast to the resistance of Barred Rock and Australop chickens and guinea fowl. Hybrid chicks from a New Hampshire‐White Leghorn cross were highly resistant to aflatoxin. Eggs and meat from White Leghorn hens fed a ration containing 2700 ppb aflatoxin contained no detectable aflatoxin.