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Diss Factsheets

Ecotoxicological information

Toxicity to birds

Currently viewing:

Administrative data

Endpoint:
toxicity to birds, other
Remarks:
Egg production and quality
Type of information:
experimental study
Adequacy of study:
supporting study
Reliability:
2 (reliable with restrictions)
Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:
study well documented, meets generally accepted scientific principles, acceptable for assessment

Data source

Reference
Reference Type:
publication
Title:
Studies of the Use of Calcium Carbonate in the Feeding of Laying Hens During Summer Months
Author:
Tortuero F & Centeno C
Year:
1973
Bibliographic source:
Poultry Science, 52(3): 866-872

Materials and methods

Test guideline
Qualifier:
no guideline followed
Principles of method if other than guideline:
Studies were conducted with laying hens to investigate the influence of different levels of calcium carbonate (ground and incorporated into the diet or as supplemental granules) on production indexes and shell quality when temperatures were above 30 °C. At the same time an evaluation was made of the effects of different dietary calcium levels or supplementation on the calcium and nitrogen retention and the digestibility of fat and crude fibre.
GLP compliance:
no

Test material

Constituent 1
Reference substance name:
The source of calcium carbonate was a fossiliferous calcareous rock
IUPAC Name:
The source of calcium carbonate was a fossiliferous calcareous rock
Details on test material:
The source of calcium carbonate was a fossiliferous calcareous rock containing 99.7 % calcium carbonate, 39.9% calcium and free of magnesium.
Dose method:
feed
Vehicle:
no
Details on preparation and analysis of diet:
Diets were essentially isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous, varying only in the level of calcium. The calcium was in the form of calcium carbonate (ground and incorporated into the feed or as supplemental granules).

During a period of 6 days in the second month of the experiment chromic oxide was added at a level of 0.3% to all the diets for the purpose of determining the nitrogen retention, fat and crude fibre digestibility and the retention of calcium in the hens from each group.

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):
other: Hens
Details on test organisms:
TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: Commercial egg-type hens
- Age at test initiation (mean and range, SD): 10 months

Study design

Limit test:
no
Total exposure duration (if not single dose):
3 mo
No. of animals per sex per dose and/or stage:
40 hens/ group (4 replicates of 10 birds each)
Control animals:
no
Details on test conditions:
PEN SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
- Caging: individual

NO. OF BIRDS PER REPLICATE
- For treated: 10 birds/ replicate

NO. OF REPLICATES PER GROUP
- For treated: 4 replicates/ group

TEST CONDITIONS (range, mean, SD as applicable)
- Temperature: The average daily maximum temperatures for the monthly periods beginning June 20, July 20 and August 20 were 32 °C, 30 °C and 27 °C, respectively.
- Ventilation: No system of ventilation no air exhaustion was used.


During the duration of the experiment, food and drinking water were available ad libitum.

During the 10 days prior to the beginning of the experiment the daily feed consumption of the birds of group E was regulated in order to adjust the level of Ca of this diet to an approximate intake of 4.0 g/bird/day. Groups B and D were given daily supplements of 3.0 g/bird/day of calcium carbonate granules with the object of evaluating the influence of this additional supplement on the various characteristics being investigated.

Examinations

Details on reproductive parameters:
Egg production was recorded daily and the residual feed was weighed every 15 days. All the eggs from each of the groups were individually weighed.

Twice each month shell thickness was determined at the central part of the shell after breaking the egg in half. Each shell was also examined in detail for defects, porosity etc.

Faeces were also collected from each group.

Results and discussion

Effects on reproduction:
The consumption of feed/bird/day, especially when the temperature was higher, tended to decrease as the level of calcium carbonate was increased. Feed conversion indexes were not different. When the temperature was lower than 30 °C, the differences in feed consumption were less. Also a better feed conversion and a higher rate of production were observed when the level of calcium was increased from 2.68 to 3.86%.

The addition of granulated calcium carbonate appears to be more acceptable when the temperatures are higher and the level of calcium in the diet is less than 3.0%. This advantage in the administration of supplemental limestone, especially in the summer, has a logical explanation; the hen has a short period of 16-20 hr in which to mobilise from her bone tissue reserves, the 5.5 g of calcium carbonate considered necessary for a rate of egg production of 80%. In such circumstances, the recovery has to be rapid and the birds should have at their disposal 2.0 g of utilisable calcium in order to maintain their level of production.

Birds tend to retain less calcium at higher levels of intake. The values for calcium retention ranged from 49.3 to 66.8%; the lowest retention values were for the groups with the highest ingestion of calcium (groups D and E).

The results did not show any effect on egg weight during all the experimental periods at any of the calcium intake levels.

The results show that when the level of calcium is 2.68% and the temperature is high, the percentage of eggs with defective shells was greater; this condition was frequently accompanied by a reduction in the shell thickness. The best results were obtained when the level of calcium ingestion was approximately 4.0 g/bird/day. It can also be seen that the addition of a supplemental source of calcium, especially in the months of higher temperature, resulted in a statistically significant increase in eggshell quality.

It can be considered that 2.0 g/bird/day is the optimal level of utilisable calcium. This is equivalent to 5.0 g of total calcium ingested.

Any other information on results incl. tables

Table 1: Effects of different levels of calcium in the diet and of calcium supplementation on egg production indices

Period

Experimental groups

Dietary Ca level (%)

Supplemental Ca (g/bird/day)

Ca ingestion/bird/day (g)

Egg production (%)

Feed ingestion/bird/day (g)

Feed conversion index

Egg weights (g)

June 20 to July 20

A

2.68

-

2.45

86.3

99

1.36

54.6

B

2.68

1.14

3.49

85.2

95

1.33

55.8

C

3.86

-

3.31

86.4

95

1.30

54.8

D

3.86

1.14

4.15

86.3

94

1.29

54.6

E

4.18

-

3.41

86.8

92

1.28

56.1

July 20 to August 20

A

2.68

-

2.72

84.5

110

1.57

57.1

B

2.68

1.14

3.89

85.6

111

1.56

57.0

C

3.86

-

3.68

86.1

106

1.46

57.6

D

3.86

1.14

4.59

88.0

103

1.44

57.2

E

4.18

-

3.63

87.8

98

1.33

56.3

August 20 to September 20

A

2.68

-

2.70

83.5

109

1.54

59.2

B

2.68

1.14

4.00

84.3

116

1.62

59.6

C

3.86

-

3.75

86.2

108

1.51

59.3

D

3.86

1.14

4.87

85.6

107

1.51

58.9

E

4.18

-

3.85

86.6

104

1.48

58.8

 

 

Table 2: Egg shell quality and % of eggs with shell defects

Period

Experimental groups

Dietary Ca level (%)

Supplemental Ca (g/bird/day)

Egg shell thickness (mm)

Eggs with defective shells (%)

June 20 to July 20

A

2.68

-

0.36

13.4

B

2.68

1.14

0.38

6.5

C

3.86

-

0.40

7.3

D

3.86

1.14

0.40

0.0

E

4.18

-

0.40

2.4

July 20 to August 20

A

2.68

-

0.35

18.7

B

2.68

1.14

0.36

7.4

C

3.86

-

0.37

8.2

D

3.86

1.14

0.36

1.5

E

4.18

-

0.37

2.7

August 20 to September 20

A

2.68

-

0.35

12.3

B

2.68

1.14

0.37

2.8

C

3.86

-

0.39

3.7

D

3.86

1.14

0.38

0.0

E

4.18

-

0.38

0.0

 

Table 3: Effects of different levels of Ca in the diet and of Ca supplementation on Ca and nitrogen retention and digestibility of fat and crude fibre

Experimental groups

Dietary Ca level (%)

Supplemental Ca (g/bird/day)

Calcium retention

Nitrogen retention (%)

Fat digestibility (%)

Crude fibre digestibility (%)

%

g/bird/day

A

2.68

-

66.8

1.78

50.45

81.13

11.42

B

2.68

1.14

63.2

2.32

53.77

83.4

14.27

C

3.86

-

63.4

2.24

51.98

81.32

11.04

D

3.86

1.14

49.3

2.26

66.97

87.24

13.39

E

4.18

-

58.0

2.10

58.38

85.11

13.16

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:
Calcium carbonate did not show any adverse effects to the hens or to the eggs. In fact, calcium carbonate appears to be beneficial and 2.0 g of utilisable Ca/bird/day can be considered optimal.