GROWTH OF BROILERS AND QUAIL FED FUSARIUM (GIBBERELLA-ZEAE) INFECTED CORN AND ZEARALENONE (F-2)

There were no effects in commercial broilers after the long term ingesting of Fusarium [graminearum]-infected corn supplying 1, 10 and 30 ppm zearalenone (F-2) in diets. Average gain and feed conversion were similar in all treatment groups. In the first feeding trial the average body weights were higher for males than for females, but the differences were not significant. Purified F-2, 30 ppm, was fed to broilers and no chronic effects were observed. Differences in mean body weights between dietary treatments in the 2 Japanese quail lines were small and not significant after 4 wk on diets containing 0, 10 and 25 ppm F-2 from Fusarium-infected corn.