Effects of propionic acid and of copper sulfate on the nutritional value of diets containing moldy corn for broiler chicks.

ABSTRACT

Diets containing moldy corn (in which fat levels were restored or not restored by soybean oil) were supplemented with either propionic acid (PA) or copper sulfate (CS), and their nutritional value for young broiler chicks was evaluated. The fat content of a diet containing good quality grains decreased slightly, whereas that of diets containing moldy grains decreased markedly, during the 30 days of the experiment. The PA (.3%), but not CS (600 ppm), almost completely prevented this decrease. Dietary metabolizable energy (ME), retention of dry matter and protein, and the performance of the chicks fed the diet containing the moldy corn were markedly depressed. Neither CS, nor soybean oil supplementation, nor a combination of the two, counteracted these effects. Supplementation with PA however, significantly (P less than .05) increased dietary ME, increased retention of dry matter and protein, and improved performance of chicks fed the moldy grains. The combination of PA and soybean oil supplementation yielded essentially the same results as the diet containing the good corn. It is concluded, therefore, that the nutritional value of diets containing moldy grains can be completely restored if their fat content is increased in proportion to the amount lost in the moldy grains and an efficient fungistat is used.