Seven hundred and fifty day-old male broiler chicks were randomly distributed to 15 pens (50 chicks per pen) of five treatment groups to study the effectiveness of several nutritional procedures for controlling the deleterious effects of aflatoxin-contaminated diets on broiler performance. One of experimental groups was considered as positive control and fed with an aflatoxin -free diet. In four other groups, aflatoxin Bi was added to ration at level of 1 ppm (1mg/kg feed) and in three of these groups, the diets were
supplemented with natural zeolite (0.75%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.5%) and Sodium Bisulfite (1%), respectively. All of groups were fed a corn-soybean meal based diet as starter and finisher from 1-21 and 22-49 days of age, respectively, with feed and water available for adlibitum consumption. Body weights were measured weekly and mortality was recorded as it occurred. The obtained results indicated, compared with positive control group, body weights, food consumption and feed convertion ratio in chicks receiving aflatoxin-contaminated diets were significantly reduced. In comparison between groups fed with aflatoxin
-contaminated diets chicks receiving diet which had been supplemented with S. cerevisiae had higher body weight and lower feed convertion ratio. From the results of this study, it could be concluded that S. cerevisiae was more effective than Zeolite and Sodium Bisulfite in controlling the deleterious effects of aflatoxin Bi on broiler performance.
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