Intoxication of Crotalaria pallida seeds to growing broiler chicks

The adverse effects of feeding Crotalaria pallida (CP) seeds to chicks was investigated in a 21-day randomized trial of 4 dietary treatments (control, 1,2 and 3% ground CP seeds). Mortality rates in birds fed 0, 1, 2, and 3% dietary CP were 0, 2.1, 6.2, and 16.7%, respectively. Body weight gain and feed efficiency were adversely affected by all levels of inclusion of CP seeds, but feed intake was decreased only by dietary levels of 2 and 3%. Dietary CP of 2 and 3% increased the relative weight of lung, heart and spleen. Relative liver weight was increased by 2% dietary CP, but decreased by 3% CP. At day 14, serum GGT was increased by 2 and 3% dietary CP; serum ALT was significantly increased by 3% CP. No differences in ALT, AST or GGT were observed at day 21. Dietary levels equal to or greater than 1% CP are toxic for growing broiler chicks.