Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux Research Station ALP, rte de la Tioleyre 4, 1725 Posieux

Mycotoxin contaminated bedding straw and sow fertility

The effects of bedding straw contaminated on average with 1.4 mg/kg deoxynivalenol (DON) and 0.9 mg/kg zearalenone on the fertility of group housed sows with daily access to pasture was tested using 48 sows kept on contaminated and 48 control sows kept on uncontaminated straw from mating until farrowing. No abortions were observed during the trial. The contaminated straw neither influenced the non return rate nor the number and birth weight of the piglets. The effects of Fusarium toxin contaminated bedding straw on fertility thus seem to be negligible in sows having access to roughage such as pasture grass.

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