Effects of continuous feeding of toxaphene to white leghorn layers.

Graded levels of toxaphene 0, 0.5, 5.0, 50 and 100 ppm were added to the diets of female white leghorn chicks from one day of age. Each treatment consisted of 90 randomly selected birds divided into three replicates of 30 birds each. Birds fed the 5, 50, and 100 ppm level of toxaphene exhibited osteomalacia manifested by sternal deformities and extremely friable ribs. A decrease in egg shell strength was found in chickens eating feed containing 5 ppm level of toxaphene. Toxaphene did not significantly alter egg production, hatchability or fertility in this trial.