Behavioral Changes and Clinical Signs in Aflatoxicosis Induced Broilers and Amelioration with Probiotics and Silymarin

Abstract

The global poultry industry faces a persistent challenge from aflatoxins. Instead of chemical treatments, use of probiotics and phyto-constituent like silymarin was thought of to combat aflatoxins. This study investigated the behavioral aspects of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens as a cost-effective diagnostic tool for poultry farmers and assessed the effectiveness of silymarin and multi-strain probiotics in mitigating aflatoxin-induced behavioral changes. Aflatoxicosis was induced in broiler with 0.5, 1 and 3 ppm aflatoxin and clinical signs were observed in broiler chicken exposed to three levels of aflatoxin. The study found that aflatoxin-exposed birds exhibited reduced appetite, increased water intake, altered faecal consistency, poor feather condition and diminished comb growth. However, treatment with probiotics and silymarin, alone or combination, significantly alleviated these effects and restored normal behaviour in broiler. To conclude, this study suggested that poultry farmers can suspect aflatoxicosis based on observable behavioral changes and highlighted the efficacy of probiotics and silymarin in countering aflatoxin's harmful effects in commercial broilers chicken, enhancing their overall health.