Growth response and nutrient digestibility of West African Dwarf goats fed micro doses of dietary aflatoxin

An experiment was conducted with twenty West African Dwarf (WAD) goats (4-5 months old) averaging 8.40±0.2kg to assess performance and nutrient digestibility of WAD goats exposed to varied levels of dietary aflatoxin of 0ppb, 50ppb, 100ppb and 150ppb in concentrate diets 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively for a period of 12 weeks. Aflatoxin contaminated maize was used with uncontaminated maize to vary the level of aflatoxin concentration in the concentrate diets. Feed intake, body weight and weight gain were monitored throughout the experimental period and the nutrient digestibility in the experimental animals was determined. Results showed that the average weight gain (g/goat) at the end of the trial declined with increasing aflatoxin level in the diets by 50.97%, 64.70% and 76.48% in animals fed diets 2, 3 and 4 respectively compared to the mean weight gain of the control (36.4g). The feed consumption of goats fed control diet was different from diet 4, but both were higher than those fed diets 2 and 3. Feed intake of goats fed diet 3 was higher than those on diet 2. Forty percent mortality was recorded in each of treatments 2, 3 and 4. Nutrient digestibility was influenced by dietary aflatoxin, but no consistent trend was observed with increase in aflatoxin concentration. These results suggest dietary aflatoxin up to 50ppb impaired performance of WAD goats. It also impaired nutrient digestibility, utilisation and depressed growth most especially when fed at 100 ppb and 150ppb to WAD goats.