Lindane toxicity in pigeons.

A flock of Birmingham Rolles pigeons were fed a commercial whole grain pigeon feed contaminated with 2 100 ppm lindane. Soon after ingestion of the feed, symptoms including diarrhea, vomition, anorexia, depression and sudden death, consistent with a feed related organochlorine toxicity were seen. The rapeseed component of the pigeon feed contained seed which had been treated with a lindane seed dressing. Chemical analysis, history and clinical findings support a diagnosis of acute lindane toxicosis which caused sudden death in 47% of the pigeon flock.