Effect of p ,p′-DDT, o ,p′-DDT and p ,p′-DDE on the Reproductive Performance of Caged White Leghorns

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Nine groups of 20 caged White Leghorn pullets each were fed a standard breeder diet supplemented with 5, 25 or 50 p.p.m. p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT or p,p′-DDE in Experiment 1 (28 weeks); the 5 and 25 p.p.m. levels were increased to 150 and 300 p.p.m., respectively, in Experiment 2 (additional 12 weeks). A tenth group fed no pesticides served as the control in both experiments. Least squares analysis of variance indicated in Experiment 1 pesticide effects for body weight gains which showed a rank of decreasing order: p,p′-DDT > o,p′-DDT > p,p′-DDE. The three pesticides produced significantly heavier body weights than the control. The level X pesticide effects indicated that the 5 and 25 p.p.m. levels of p,p′-DDE increased body weight gains more than the 50 p.p.m. level and that the 5 and 50 p.p.m. levels of p,p′-DDT and o,p′-DDT, respectively, significantly reduced hatchability as compared with the other two levels within the pesticide. In Experiment 2, pesticide effects showed that the three pesticides significantly reduced egg production; no differences were noted between the pesticides for this trait. No significant differences due to pesticides, as compared with the control, were observed for mortality, fertility, hatchability and progeny growth in both experiments.