Dose–response feeding study of chlorinated paraffins in broiler chickens: effects on growth rate and tissue distribution

Abstract

Even with the highest additions of 100 mg kg^{− 1} short-chain (C10–C13) chlorinated paraffins (CP) to feed, the health of broilers was not adversely affected during a 31-day feeding experiment. In addition, 1 and 3 weeks after the experiment started, growth rate and feed consumption of the young animals were not impaired. No significant influence on mortality, organ weight relative to live weight or performance (weight gain, feed consumption) was noted. The CP concentrations in abdominal fat, meat, liver and kidneys were related linearly to the CP concentration of the feed. The highest contents were analysed in fat and the faeces, and the lowest concentrations were found in blood, meat and bile fluid. Less than 5% of the CP amount consumed was incorporated into the body, without taking the head, gut, feet and feathers into account.

Keywords:

• broiler
• carry over
• short-chain chlorinated paraffins

Acknowledgement

The assistance of the co-workers at the Institutes of Animal Nutrition and Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Celle, in performing the experiments and the analyses is gratefully acknowledged.