The effect of the administration of Solanum malacoxylon on the chick.

Replacement of the drinking water of chicks maintained on a normal mixed protein diet with an aqueous extract containing the equivalent of 5 g of the dried leaves of Solanum malacoxylon (DLSM) per 100 ml for one month produces a hypercalcaemia (23-49 per cent), hypomagnesamia (28-37 per cent), hypophosphataemia (26-34 per cent), hypouricaemia (29-34 per cent) and a decrease in plasma alkaline phosphatase activity (54-98 per cent). The ash content of the defatted, dried tibiae and the body weight of the DLSM treated chicks were also significantly lower (37-7 per cent and 17-79 per cent respectively) than the corresponding values for the untreated birds. The results obtained are similar to those reported for hypervitaminosis D3 in the chick.     

Effects of female sex hormones on uterine motility and reactivity to oxytocin in goats.

Uterine motility was recorded for several weeks in 10 ovariectomised goats, using small intra-uterine balloons, to study the effects of female sex hormones on uterine activity and reactivity to oxytocin. Oestradiol stimulated uterine contractions and increased both the sensitivity and intra-uterine pressure response to oxytocin. When progesterone was administered in addition to oestradiol, spontaneous uterine motility became irregular with low amplitude contrations; the sensitivity and reactivity to oxytocin was significantly depressed.     

Dietary rapeseed meal and the incidence of tainted eggs

1. Incorporating 0, 3, 6 or 9% rapeseed meal in the diet of brown‐egg laying birds for 28 d resulted in the production of 0, 1.2, 19.3 and 20.9% tainted eggs respectively, the first tainted eggs being laid on the fifth day.

2. During the second and third weeks the incidence of tainted eggs exceeded 20% but fell to 11.4% during the final week.

3. Omission of the rapeseed meal from the diets halted the production of tainted eggs.

4. Neither egg production nor the health of the birds was adversely affected by the treatments.

5. The taint was described as “ fishy ” or “ crabby ” and was distinctive, but the source was not identified.     

Rapeseed Meal and egg taint

1. Certain rapeseed meals in the diet of hens laying brown eggs result in the production, from some birds, of eggs which have a “ fishy ” or “ crabby ” odour because of the presence of trimethylamine.

2. Such susceptible birds have been used to demonstrate that the activity can be extracted from rapeseed meal with appropriate solvents.