Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2002

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Animal Science

Major Professor

Judy Grizzle

Committee Members

Hugo Eiler, Michael O. Smith

Abstract

These experiments were conducted to determine if there is a negative effect of raw soybeans, T-2 toxin and their interaction on performance, immunocompetence and reproduction of bobwhite quail. Birds were fed diets, containing 0, 20, 40 or 60% raw soybeans and orally dosed with 0, 9 or 12 mg T-2 toxin per kg body weight. Mortality, food consumption and body weight gain were recorded for performance analysis. Birds were bled seven days before first T-2 toxin treatment, 24 hours after each treatment and two weeks after last treatment. Total white blood cells (WBC) and percentage WBC were counted from this blood to identify any immunosupresion. One week before the dosing period lights were increased to 16 hours per day to induce puberty. Hen day and hen housed egg production was determined for 12 weeks. Eggs from the first four weeks of egg production were set for hatchability data (percent fertility, percent fertile hatchability and percent total hatchability). Live chicks from the first four hatches were weighed at 4 weeks of age to determine differences due to maternal exposure to raw soybeans and T-2 toxin. A second experiment was performed to determine the effect of T-2 toxin on testicular morphology. Fifteen male bobwhite quail were assigned to receive intermittent doses of 0, 12, or 16mg T-2 toxin per kg BW. Birds were sacrificed on day 22 and the left testis was removed and fixed for histological analysis.

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