Rapeseed meal and egg tainting: in vivo metabolism and excretion of ¹⁴g‐trimethylamine by tainter and non‐tainter hens

Abstract

1. From their abilities to produce tainted eggs when receiving dietary rapeseed meal (RSM) Shaver 585 hens, Ross 1 broiler breeder hens and Shaver 579 hens were identified as tainters or non‐tainters.

2. There was no significant difference in the mean renal clearances of ¹⁴C between six tainter and six non‐tainter shaver 585 hens infused with ¹⁴C‐trimethylamine (TMA).

3. When increasing concentrations of TMA were infused into five tainter and four non‐tainter broiler breeder hens receiving dietary RSM, at the highest infusion rate tainter hens excreted a larger proportion (95%) of ¹⁴C as unchanged TMA than did non‐tainter hens (76%). Eight weeks after removal of RSM from the diet this difference decreased (87 and 76% respectively).

4. Two tainter and five non‐tainter Shaver 579 hens receiving dietary RSM excreted 96 and 70%, respectively, of the infused ¹⁴C‐TMA unchanged.