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Effects of feeding diets containing Crotalaria retusa L. seed to broiler chickens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. J. Ross  and
J. W. Tucker
A. J. Ross
Affiliation:
Animal Industry and Agriculture Branch, Department of the Northern TerritoryDarwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
J. W. Tucker
Affiliation:
Animal Industry and Agriculture Branch, Department of the Northern TerritoryDarwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
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Summary

Seeds of the plant Crotalaria retusa L., containing 4·4% of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline, were fed in a finely ground form to broiler chickens at 0·005, 0·01, 0·05, 0·10 and 0·50% by weight of the diet continuously for 8 weeks.

Feeding 0·005% and 0·01% had no effect on the growth performance of the birds. A non-significant reduction in live-weight gain, one death and chronic disease resulted from feeding 0·05%. At 0·10% and 0·50% there was high mortality and reduced voluntary feed intake, live-weight gain and feed conversion efficiency, the severity of the response being greater at 0·50%.

Feather development was inhibited in birds fed 0·10% and 0·50% C. retusa seed.

Until further research is done to determine the effect of feeding between 0·01% and 0·05% ground C. retusa seed in the diet of broiler chickens, it is suggested that the maximum should be 0·01%.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 89 , Issue 1 , August 1977 , pp. 95 - 99
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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