Influence of Plant Toxins on Laying Hen Performance and Egg Quality

The poisonous plant literature is voluminous and global, with most reports centering on plant toxicoses in livestock (cattle, sheep, and horses) that cause significant annual economic losses. However, poultry can be poisoned following plant ingestion when given access to outdoor environments, or via consumption of toxin-containing cultivars of cereal grains, legumes, oilseed meals, roots and tubers, and seeds (contaminants) that can potentially be incorporated into their diets. This chapter will provide an overview of the effect of plant toxins in pullets, laying hens, and breeder hens as well as any associated effects on egg quality and reproduction. An attempt also was made to provide an historical perspective when discussing various toxicoses. Reports of poisonings in broilers, immature birds, or "chickens" or "poultry" (i.e., strain or species were not identified), or layer studies where a plant toxicant was unknown, generally will not be discussed.