Animal and Veterinary Sciences 2015; 3(2): 37-40 Published online February 12, 2015 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/avs) doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20150302.11 ISSN: 2328-5842 (Print); ISSN: 2328-5850 (Online) Response of Pullet Chicks to Dietary FumonisinB 1 : Growth Indices and Haematological Parameters Ogunlade Jacob Taiwo Department of Animal Production and Health Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria Email address: taiwoogunlade2003@yahoo.com To cite this article: Ogunlade Jacob Taiwo. Response of Pullet Chicks to Dietary Fumonisin B1: Growth Indices and Haematological Parameters. Animal and Veterinary Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 2, 2015, pp. 37-40. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20150302.11 Abstract: Growth indices and heamatological parameters of 180 Isa brownpullet chicks fed graded levels of dietary fumonisin B 1 (an environmental mycotoxin produced by Fusariumverticillioides) were studied in a feeding trial that lasted nine weeks. The chicks, having similar initial average weights were randomly assigned to four experimental diets containing 0.2, 5.2, 10.2, and 15.2 mgFB 1 /kg constituting diets 1( control), 2, 3, and 4 respectivelyin a completely randomized design. Each dietary treatment had three replicates of 15 chicks each. The feed intake was monitored daily and the chicks weighed weekly. Blood samples were collected at the end of the trial and analyzed. Results revealed a non-significant (P>0.05) but FB 1 concentration dependent decrease in daily feed intake, final live weight and daily weight gain of chicks fed diets 2, 3, and 4 when compared with those on diet 1. Crude protein and ether extract digestibility decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as the dietary FB 1 levels increased. The dry matter digestibility of chicks on diets 2, 3, and 4 were 94.77, 95.07 and 94.81 % respectively of the control value. Chicks fed diets containing 10.2 and 15.2 mg FB 1 /kg suffered significantly (P < 0.05) reduced concentration of erythrocytesand mean corpuscular heamoglobin concentration (MCHC). Lymphocytes significantly decline (lymphopenia) while heterophils significantly increased with increase in dietary FB 1 suggesting a condition of immunosuppression and tissue degeneration respectively in chicks fed diets 3 and 4. The study demonstrated that pullets chicks exposed to dietary fumonisin concentration of 10.20mg/kg diet and above would suffer depressed apparent crude protein and ether extract digestibility and decreased synthesis of erythrocyte, MCHC and lymphocytes. Keywords: Mycotoxin, Poultry, Digestibility, Blood Profile 1.Introduction Poultry production is an enterprise recognized as a quick means of generating income and improving animal proteins in human diets. The presence of mycotoxin and anti- nutritional factors in most of the ingredients used in formulating rations for this specie of animal is of great concern to the poultry farmersand professionals (12). Fumonisin B 1 , a novel mycotoxin produced by the fungus Fusariumverticillioides,has been reported to be a major contaminant of maize intended for use in poultry ration formulation and human consumption. The importance of maize, a feed ingredient of high caloric value, in formulation of poultry ration can not be overemphasized. Fumonisins have been shown to decreased body weight and average daily weight gain of broiler chicks (7), rats (1), rabbits (3) and pigs (4). Additionally, ingestion of FB 1 contaminated diets has been shown to depress the syntheses of serum parameters and reduce the relative weights of some organs in laying hens (12). In view of these, and findings from other literatures showing increasing wave of fumonisin contamination of feeds and feedstuffs (4), this study was designed to assess the growth and haematological parameters of pullet chicks fed graded levels of dietary FB 1 2.Materials and Methods The innocular of toxigenic strain of F. verticillioides (MRC 286) obtained from the Mycotoxin laboratory of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria were introduced to autoclaved maize grains to produce FB 1 according to the method described by Nelson et.