Response of Laying Hens to a Low Salt Diet* W . G. N E S B E T H , 2 C. R. DOUGLAS AND R. H . HARMS
Department of Poultry Science, Florida Agriculatural Experiment Station, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (Received for publication August 5, 1975)
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 2128-2133, 1976
INTRODUCTION
E
ARLY studies on dietary salt levels centered mainly around the determination of toxic levels with little regard to deficiencies. These results indicated that the chicken had a higher salt requirement than is now accepted to be true for optimal growth and production. The National Research Council (1971) gives the laying hen's sodium requirement as 0.15% of the diet which is equivalent to 0.37% sodium chloride. But Cohen et al. (1972) found that 0.13% sodium or 0.32% sodium chloride was the optimal level. The lowest level of dietary sodium chloride fed to laying hens that would support body weight, egg production and hatchability was found to be 0.24% by Burns et al. (1951). Prior to this, Orent-Keiles et al. (1937) reported disturbances in reproductive functions resulting from feeding diets containing 0.002% sodium. Dilworth et al. (1972a) reported that feed consumption, egg production and egg size were decreased with dietary salt levels of 0% to 0.25%. Monsi and Enos (1972) fed diets containing 0%, 0.125%, 0.25% and 0.5% added salt to laying hens and found that salt levels had no significant effect on egg weight,
1. Florida Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Series No. 6030. 2. On leave from the Jamaica School of Agriculture.
egg shell thickness, shell strength and albumen height. Nevertheless, a significant reduction in egg production was early observed for the 0% group. A reduction in egg production was observed in groups receiving 0.125% and 0.25% added salt diets after four to five weeks. When hens were returned to the control diet containing 0.5% sodium chloride, they immediately recovered. Dilworth et al. (1972b) also reported no significant difference in specific gravity of eggs from hens fed 0% and 0.25% sodium chloride diets. The experiments in this paper were conducted to determine the effect of removing all of the salt from the diet of laying hens for a short period of time. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experiment 1. This was an observation of 115 apparently healthy Babcock B-300 Leghorn hens in their ninth month of lay, and housed two per 20.3 cm. x 45.7 cm. cage. These hens dropped from 70% to approximately 0% production over a 21-day period. By a process of elimination and nutrient determination, it was discovered that the drop in production resulted from the accidental omission of salt from their feed. New laying feed with 0.25% added salt was given to the hens after they had received the salt deficient diet for 21 days.
2128
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted with commercial Leghorn-type hens in advance state of production (16 months of age) to determine response to a 16% protein, corn-soy diet with no added salt. There was an immediate and significant decline in feed consumption. Body weight decreased significantly. After 14 days, there were no ova in the rapidly maturing stage. The ovary may have been reduced in size but apparently was not regressed. Egg specific gravity was significantly reduced but egg weight was unaffected. Egg production dropped to 0% in 17-21 days. On the return of 0.25% salt to the diet, recovery as measured by production rate was initiated immediately with production reaching 79% in 16 days compared to a pre-experimental production of 68%.
Low SALT LAYER DIET TABLE 1.—Composition of diets Ingredients
Low salt
Control {%) 69.28
69.53
19.00
19.00
2.50
2.50
6.22
6.22
2.25 0.25 0.50
2.25
— 0.50
'Supplied per kg. of diet: 6,600 I.U. vit. A., 2,200 I.C.U. vit. D 3 , 2.2 mg. menadione dimethylphyrimidinol bisulfite (MPB); 4.4 mg. riboflavin; 13.2 mg. pantothenic acid; 39.6 mg. niacin; 499.4 mg. choline chloride; 22 meg. vit. B 12 ; 125 mg. ethoxyquin; 60 mg. manganese; 50 mg. iron; 6 mg. copper; 198 meg. cobalt; 1.1 mg. iodine; 35 mg. zinc.
Experiment 2. Eighty Babcock B-300 Leghorn hens that had completed 11 months of lay were randomized into two treatment groups. Each treatment consisted of eight replications of five hens each housed individually in 20.5 cm. x 35 cm. cages. Composition of the diets is given in Table 1. The control diet was calculated to contain 16.2% protein and 2875 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilogram, as well as 0.12% sodium or a total sodium chloride content of 0.29%. The low salt experimental diet was calculated to contain 0.017% sodium or 0.044% sodium chloride. An adjustment was made in the amount of corn to compensate for the removal of salt from the diet. One treatment group of hens was fed the low salt diet for 23 days at which time they were placed on the control diet for 18 days. The other treatment group received the con-
FIG 1. Egg production of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt (Experiment 1).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
Yellow corn meal Soybean meal (50% protein) Alfalfa meal (20% protein) Ground limestone (38% Ca) Dicalcium phosphate (18.5% P, 24% Ca) Iodized salt Micro-ingredient mix'
2129
2130
W. G. NESBETH, C. R. DOUGLAS AND R. H. HARMS 1
I
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1
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20 25 DAYS
1
1
1
30
35
40
45
FIG. 2. Egg production of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt (Experiment 2).
trol diet for the entire 41-day experimental period. Feed and tap water were allowed ad libitum. The water contained 26 p.p.m. sodium. Hens were weighed individually at the beginning of the experiment, at day 23 and at the end of the experiment. Feed consumption, egg production, egg weight and specific gravity of eggs were measured. A total of four hens were sacrificed during the experiment for observation of the reproductive organs. The data were subjected to the analysis of variance (Snedecor and Cochran, 1967). Significant differences between treatment means were determined by the multiple range test of Duncan (1955).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Experiment 1. Hens receiving the low dietary salt ceased production in approximately 21 days (Fig. 1). When they were fed the control diet, they showed immediate recovery and attained the production of control hens in 17 days.
TABLE 2.—Egg weight and specific gravity of eggs from hens fed 0.25% or 0% added salt (Exp. 2)* Specific Egg gravity weight (g.) Treatment 0.25% added salt 1.0806a 62.43c 0% added salt 1.0749b 61.95c *Means without common letter in the same column are significantly different (P < .05).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
40
|
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50
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Q-
1
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2131
Low SALT LAYER DIET
125
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45
1
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25 DAYS
35
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FIG. 3. Feed intake of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt. (Experiment 2). Experiment 2. A progressive decline in egg production to approximately 0% in 17 days was experienced with hens on the low salt diet (Figure 2). When the hens were returned to control diet on the 23rd day, recovery began immediately. Normal production was attained in seven days. In 16 days, 79% production was reached which was equal to the production of hens receiving the control diet. The times for decline and recovery of production agree with those reported by Whitehead and Shannon (1974). There was a significant decrease in specific gravity of eggs as production declined but egg weight was unaffected (Table 2). During
this time, the low dietary salt resulted in a loss of appetite. Feed intake decreased to approximately 59% of that of controls over the 23-day period (Figure 3). An increase in feed consumption occurred immediately when the hens were returned to the diet with added salt on day 23. Feeding of the diet containing low salt resulted in a 19% reduction in body weight (Figure 4). The body weight was regained after the hens received the diet with added salt for 18 days. The reduction in body weight was accompanied by a reduction in size of the reproductive tract (Figure 5). The ovary contained a large number of small follicles
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
QQ
2132
W. G. NESBETH, C. R. DOUGLAS AND R. H. HARMS
-!105
1
1
1
1
I
e
^100
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e
95 -
°
I 90 -
-
/ 85
• low salt 1
I
80 0
1
2
1
3 4 WEEKS
5
6
FIG. 4. Body weight of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt (Experiment 2).
diet the follicles were able to exhibit normal growth again. REFERENCES
LOW SALT /*
CONTROL
£>AYS
FIG. 5. Ovary and oviduct of hens fed diets containing 0.25% (control) and 0% (low salt) added salt.
that were relatively uniform in size. The largest follicle at 14 days was 1.75 cm. in diameter. These apparently failed to initiate the period of rapid development during the low salt regime. They did not become atresic. When the hens were returned to the control
Burns, C. H.. W. W. Cravens and P. H. Phillips, 1951. The requirement of breeding hens for sodium chloride. Poultry Sci. 31: 302-306. Cohen, I., S. Hurwitz and A. Bar, 1972. Acid-base balance and sodium-to-chloride ratios in the diet of laying hens. J. Nutrition, 102: 1-8. Dilworth, B. C , D. Schultz, R. D. Bushong, Jr. and E. J. Day, 1972a. Effect of dietary sodium and environmental temperature on the laying hen. Poultry Sci. 51: 1802. Dilworth, B. C , D. Schultz and E. J. Day, 1972b. Sodium requirement of White Leghorn hens in cages and floor pens. Poultry Sci. 51: 1802. Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics, 11: 1-42. Monsi. A., and H. L. Enos, 1972. The effects of low dietary salt levels on laying hens. Poultry Sci. 52: 2066. National Research Council, 1971. Nutritional Requirements of Domestic Animals. No. 1. Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. Washington, D.C. Orent-Keiles, E., A. Robinson and E. V. McCollum. 1937. The effects of sodium deprivation on the animal organism. Am. J. Physiol. 119: 651-661.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
>o o
o control
Low
SALT LAYER DIET
Snedecor, G. W., and W. G. Cochran, 1967. Statistical Methods. The Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.
2133
Whitehead, C. C , and D. W. F. Shannon, 1974. The control of egg production using a low-sodium diet. Brit. Poultry Sci. 15: 429-433.
Effects of Sevin on the Reproductive Biology of the Coturnixl CHRISTOPHER T. D E R O S A , DOUGLAS H . TAYLOR, MICHAEL P. FARRELL AND STEVEN K. SEILKOP
Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 (Received for publication August 19, 1975)
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 2133-2141, 1976
INTRODUCTION
C
ARBARYL (1-napthyl-N-methylcarbamate), popularly known as Sevin, has been heralded as a "safe" substitute for other more persistent pesticides such as DDT (Nisbetand Miner, 1971). Sevin does have several advantages. It has a relatively short half-life and so does not accumulate in food chains (Nisbet and Miner, 1971). Its toxicity to birds (Heath et al., 1972) and to mammals (Carpenter et al., 1961) is low, and it is not as toxic to fish as are organophosphates (Macek and McAllister, 1970). Recently, however, considerable attention has been focused on possible negative effects of carbaryl. It has been shown to be f etotoxic to rats at high doses (10,000 p.p.m) (Collins et al., 1971), and to cotton rats at low doses (35 p.p.m.) (Barrett, 1968). Teratogenic effects have been demonstrated in guinea pigs (300 mg./kg.) (Robens, 1969) and in chickens
1. This study was supported, in part, by a Miami University Faculty Research Grant to D. H. Taylor.
treated with 75-600 p.p.m. of carbaryl. In addition, egg production was completely eliminated in chickens which were treated with 540 mg./kg./day of Sevin (Nir et al., 1966). In a subsequent study, however, egg production and viability, as well as male fertility, were unaffected by 500 p.p.m. of carbaryl in the diet (Lillie, 1973). Behavioral Considerations. Few studies have focused on possible behavioral modification induced by carbaryl. Carpenter et al. (1961) have demonstrated that carbaryl acts as a cholinesterase inhibitor. Carbaryl-treated rats exhibit a smaller shock-induced response decrement in lever pressing for liquid reinforcement; these rats are also characterized by a reduced water drive (Sideroff and Santolucito, 1972). Cholinergic blockade by several drugs such as physostigmine and neostigmine bromide significantly reduces motor activity and water and food intake (Adams, 1973). During withdrawal from chronic treatment with such drugs, water intake first returned to normal and then
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
ABSTRACT Adult Coturnix quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were subjected to three levels of carbaryl pesticide treatment (Sevin—20 p.p.m., 40 p.p.m., and 400 p.p.m) and monitored to observe any modifications in either their reproductive biology or behavior. There was an increase in the amount of pesticide excreted with increasing treatment levels during the first 48 hours following intubation, after which pesticide levels in the fecal material for all groups approached zero. Additionally, significant amounts of the pesticide were detected in the egg yolks after pesticide ingestion (treatment levels 20, 40, and 400 p.p.m. resulted in pesticide residues of 1.58, 2.03, and 3.15 p.p.m., respectively). Egg production was significantly reduced (p s 0.05), although egg viability was not affected by the pesticide stress. Agonistic behavior decreased in males while it increased in the females following pesticide ingestion.
Department of Poultry Science, Florida Agriculatural Experiment Station, Gainesville, Florida 32611 (Received for publication August 5, 1975)
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 2128-2133, 1976
INTRODUCTION
E
ARLY studies on dietary salt levels centered mainly around the determination of toxic levels with little regard to deficiencies. These results indicated that the chicken had a higher salt requirement than is now accepted to be true for optimal growth and production. The National Research Council (1971) gives the laying hen's sodium requirement as 0.15% of the diet which is equivalent to 0.37% sodium chloride. But Cohen et al. (1972) found that 0.13% sodium or 0.32% sodium chloride was the optimal level. The lowest level of dietary sodium chloride fed to laying hens that would support body weight, egg production and hatchability was found to be 0.24% by Burns et al. (1951). Prior to this, Orent-Keiles et al. (1937) reported disturbances in reproductive functions resulting from feeding diets containing 0.002% sodium. Dilworth et al. (1972a) reported that feed consumption, egg production and egg size were decreased with dietary salt levels of 0% to 0.25%. Monsi and Enos (1972) fed diets containing 0%, 0.125%, 0.25% and 0.5% added salt to laying hens and found that salt levels had no significant effect on egg weight,
1. Florida Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Series No. 6030. 2. On leave from the Jamaica School of Agriculture.
egg shell thickness, shell strength and albumen height. Nevertheless, a significant reduction in egg production was early observed for the 0% group. A reduction in egg production was observed in groups receiving 0.125% and 0.25% added salt diets after four to five weeks. When hens were returned to the control diet containing 0.5% sodium chloride, they immediately recovered. Dilworth et al. (1972b) also reported no significant difference in specific gravity of eggs from hens fed 0% and 0.25% sodium chloride diets. The experiments in this paper were conducted to determine the effect of removing all of the salt from the diet of laying hens for a short period of time. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experiment 1. This was an observation of 115 apparently healthy Babcock B-300 Leghorn hens in their ninth month of lay, and housed two per 20.3 cm. x 45.7 cm. cage. These hens dropped from 70% to approximately 0% production over a 21-day period. By a process of elimination and nutrient determination, it was discovered that the drop in production resulted from the accidental omission of salt from their feed. New laying feed with 0.25% added salt was given to the hens after they had received the salt deficient diet for 21 days.
2128
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted with commercial Leghorn-type hens in advance state of production (16 months of age) to determine response to a 16% protein, corn-soy diet with no added salt. There was an immediate and significant decline in feed consumption. Body weight decreased significantly. After 14 days, there were no ova in the rapidly maturing stage. The ovary may have been reduced in size but apparently was not regressed. Egg specific gravity was significantly reduced but egg weight was unaffected. Egg production dropped to 0% in 17-21 days. On the return of 0.25% salt to the diet, recovery as measured by production rate was initiated immediately with production reaching 79% in 16 days compared to a pre-experimental production of 68%.
Low SALT LAYER DIET TABLE 1.—Composition of diets Ingredients
Low salt
Control {%) 69.28
69.53
19.00
19.00
2.50
2.50
6.22
6.22
2.25 0.25 0.50
2.25
— 0.50
'Supplied per kg. of diet: 6,600 I.U. vit. A., 2,200 I.C.U. vit. D 3 , 2.2 mg. menadione dimethylphyrimidinol bisulfite (MPB); 4.4 mg. riboflavin; 13.2 mg. pantothenic acid; 39.6 mg. niacin; 499.4 mg. choline chloride; 22 meg. vit. B 12 ; 125 mg. ethoxyquin; 60 mg. manganese; 50 mg. iron; 6 mg. copper; 198 meg. cobalt; 1.1 mg. iodine; 35 mg. zinc.
Experiment 2. Eighty Babcock B-300 Leghorn hens that had completed 11 months of lay were randomized into two treatment groups. Each treatment consisted of eight replications of five hens each housed individually in 20.5 cm. x 35 cm. cages. Composition of the diets is given in Table 1. The control diet was calculated to contain 16.2% protein and 2875 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilogram, as well as 0.12% sodium or a total sodium chloride content of 0.29%. The low salt experimental diet was calculated to contain 0.017% sodium or 0.044% sodium chloride. An adjustment was made in the amount of corn to compensate for the removal of salt from the diet. One treatment group of hens was fed the low salt diet for 23 days at which time they were placed on the control diet for 18 days. The other treatment group received the con-
FIG 1. Egg production of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt (Experiment 1).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
Yellow corn meal Soybean meal (50% protein) Alfalfa meal (20% protein) Ground limestone (38% Ca) Dicalcium phosphate (18.5% P, 24% Ca) Iodized salt Micro-ingredient mix'
2129
2130
W. G. NESBETH, C. R. DOUGLAS AND R. H. HARMS 1
I
•
I
'
I
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I —
80 © h—
70
v_^
O
° 30
'
z
LJJ
20
/ \
0^
10 —L
0 0
5
1
l
10
15
/ i
o control
1
\
3Z
• low salt l
20 25 DAYS
1
1
1
30
35
40
45
FIG. 2. Egg production of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt (Experiment 2).
trol diet for the entire 41-day experimental period. Feed and tap water were allowed ad libitum. The water contained 26 p.p.m. sodium. Hens were weighed individually at the beginning of the experiment, at day 23 and at the end of the experiment. Feed consumption, egg production, egg weight and specific gravity of eggs were measured. A total of four hens were sacrificed during the experiment for observation of the reproductive organs. The data were subjected to the analysis of variance (Snedecor and Cochran, 1967). Significant differences between treatment means were determined by the multiple range test of Duncan (1955).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Experiment 1. Hens receiving the low dietary salt ceased production in approximately 21 days (Fig. 1). When they were fed the control diet, they showed immediate recovery and attained the production of control hens in 17 days.
TABLE 2.—Egg weight and specific gravity of eggs from hens fed 0.25% or 0% added salt (Exp. 2)* Specific Egg gravity weight (g.) Treatment 0.25% added salt 1.0806a 62.43c 0% added salt 1.0749b 61.95c *Means without common letter in the same column are significantly different (P < .05).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
40
|
^
50
'
Q-
1
g 60
2131
Low SALT LAYER DIET
125
•—
f
•
I
•
AI
m
-
r
105
1
-
.
I
85
65
o control
-
|
o
i
• low salt
45
1
i
. M i
I
15
25 DAYS
35
i
45
FIG. 3. Feed intake of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt. (Experiment 2). Experiment 2. A progressive decline in egg production to approximately 0% in 17 days was experienced with hens on the low salt diet (Figure 2). When the hens were returned to control diet on the 23rd day, recovery began immediately. Normal production was attained in seven days. In 16 days, 79% production was reached which was equal to the production of hens receiving the control diet. The times for decline and recovery of production agree with those reported by Whitehead and Shannon (1974). There was a significant decrease in specific gravity of eggs as production declined but egg weight was unaffected (Table 2). During
this time, the low dietary salt resulted in a loss of appetite. Feed intake decreased to approximately 59% of that of controls over the 23-day period (Figure 3). An increase in feed consumption occurred immediately when the hens were returned to the diet with added salt on day 23. Feeding of the diet containing low salt resulted in a 19% reduction in body weight (Figure 4). The body weight was regained after the hens received the diet with added salt for 18 days. The reduction in body weight was accompanied by a reduction in size of the reproductive tract (Figure 5). The ovary contained a large number of small follicles
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
2132
W. G. NESBETH, C. R. DOUGLAS AND R. H. HARMS
-!105
1
1
1
1
I
e
^100
I
e
o ^ - * "—
e
95 -
°
I 90 -
-
/ 85
• low salt 1
I
80 0
1
2
1
3 4 WEEKS
5
6
FIG. 4. Body weight of hens fed diets containing 0.25% or 0% added salt (Experiment 2).
diet the follicles were able to exhibit normal growth again. REFERENCES
LOW SALT /*
CONTROL
£>AYS
FIG. 5. Ovary and oviduct of hens fed diets containing 0.25% (control) and 0% (low salt) added salt.
that were relatively uniform in size. The largest follicle at 14 days was 1.75 cm. in diameter. These apparently failed to initiate the period of rapid development during the low salt regime. They did not become atresic. When the hens were returned to the control
Burns, C. H.. W. W. Cravens and P. H. Phillips, 1951. The requirement of breeding hens for sodium chloride. Poultry Sci. 31: 302-306. Cohen, I., S. Hurwitz and A. Bar, 1972. Acid-base balance and sodium-to-chloride ratios in the diet of laying hens. J. Nutrition, 102: 1-8. Dilworth, B. C , D. Schultz, R. D. Bushong, Jr. and E. J. Day, 1972a. Effect of dietary sodium and environmental temperature on the laying hen. Poultry Sci. 51: 1802. Dilworth, B. C , D. Schultz and E. J. Day, 1972b. Sodium requirement of White Leghorn hens in cages and floor pens. Poultry Sci. 51: 1802. Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics, 11: 1-42. Monsi. A., and H. L. Enos, 1972. The effects of low dietary salt levels on laying hens. Poultry Sci. 52: 2066. National Research Council, 1971. Nutritional Requirements of Domestic Animals. No. 1. Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. Washington, D.C. Orent-Keiles, E., A. Robinson and E. V. McCollum. 1937. The effects of sodium deprivation on the animal organism. Am. J. Physiol. 119: 651-661.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
>o o
o control
Low
SALT LAYER DIET
Snedecor, G. W., and W. G. Cochran, 1967. Statistical Methods. The Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.
2133
Whitehead, C. C , and D. W. F. Shannon, 1974. The control of egg production using a low-sodium diet. Brit. Poultry Sci. 15: 429-433.
Effects of Sevin on the Reproductive Biology of the Coturnixl CHRISTOPHER T. D E R O S A , DOUGLAS H . TAYLOR, MICHAEL P. FARRELL AND STEVEN K. SEILKOP
Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 (Received for publication August 19, 1975)
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 2133-2141, 1976
INTRODUCTION
C
ARBARYL (1-napthyl-N-methylcarbamate), popularly known as Sevin, has been heralded as a "safe" substitute for other more persistent pesticides such as DDT (Nisbetand Miner, 1971). Sevin does have several advantages. It has a relatively short half-life and so does not accumulate in food chains (Nisbet and Miner, 1971). Its toxicity to birds (Heath et al., 1972) and to mammals (Carpenter et al., 1961) is low, and it is not as toxic to fish as are organophosphates (Macek and McAllister, 1970). Recently, however, considerable attention has been focused on possible negative effects of carbaryl. It has been shown to be f etotoxic to rats at high doses (10,000 p.p.m) (Collins et al., 1971), and to cotton rats at low doses (35 p.p.m.) (Barrett, 1968). Teratogenic effects have been demonstrated in guinea pigs (300 mg./kg.) (Robens, 1969) and in chickens
1. This study was supported, in part, by a Miami University Faculty Research Grant to D. H. Taylor.
treated with 75-600 p.p.m. of carbaryl. In addition, egg production was completely eliminated in chickens which were treated with 540 mg./kg./day of Sevin (Nir et al., 1966). In a subsequent study, however, egg production and viability, as well as male fertility, were unaffected by 500 p.p.m. of carbaryl in the diet (Lillie, 1973). Behavioral Considerations. Few studies have focused on possible behavioral modification induced by carbaryl. Carpenter et al. (1961) have demonstrated that carbaryl acts as a cholinesterase inhibitor. Carbaryl-treated rats exhibit a smaller shock-induced response decrement in lever pressing for liquid reinforcement; these rats are also characterized by a reduced water drive (Sideroff and Santolucito, 1972). Cholinergic blockade by several drugs such as physostigmine and neostigmine bromide significantly reduces motor activity and water and food intake (Adams, 1973). During withdrawal from chronic treatment with such drugs, water intake first returned to normal and then
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Georgia on June 9, 2015
ABSTRACT Adult Coturnix quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were subjected to three levels of carbaryl pesticide treatment (Sevin—20 p.p.m., 40 p.p.m., and 400 p.p.m) and monitored to observe any modifications in either their reproductive biology or behavior. There was an increase in the amount of pesticide excreted with increasing treatment levels during the first 48 hours following intubation, after which pesticide levels in the fecal material for all groups approached zero. Additionally, significant amounts of the pesticide were detected in the egg yolks after pesticide ingestion (treatment levels 20, 40, and 400 p.p.m. resulted in pesticide residues of 1.58, 2.03, and 3.15 p.p.m., respectively). Egg production was significantly reduced (p s 0.05), although egg viability was not affected by the pesticide stress. Agonistic behavior decreased in males while it increased in the females following pesticide ingestion.
