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Effects of feeding diets containing Crotalaria retusa L. seed to growing pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. J. Ross
A. J. Ross
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 groups of four pigs from 6 weeks of age. Six levels, 0·004, 0·01, 0·02, 0·05, 0·10 and 0·50% by weight of seed in the diet, were fed continuously for up to 19 weeks. In addition a separate regime, designed to mirror an outbreak of poisoning at a local piggery, consisted of feeding 0·10% for 3 weeks followed by 0·05% for 1 week.

Exposure to more than 0·01%, whether fed continuously or not, resulted in reduced voluntary feed intake and live-weight gain, and high mortality. At 0·50% a reduction in feed conversion efficiency was also obvious. Levels of 0·004% and 0·01% had no significant effect on the production performance of the pigs.

The results of this trial suggest that no more than 0·01% ground C. retusa seed should be included in the diets of pigs. When 0·004%–0·01% is included care should be taken as the long-term effect of the subclinical disease produced is not known.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 89 , Issue 1 , August 1977 , pp. 101 - 105
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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References

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