The Effects of Deoxynivalenol (Vomitoxin) on Dietary Preference of White Leghorn Hens1'2

ABSTRACT In two experiments, a total of 108 laying hens were given two-choice preference tests involving diets containing 4-deoxynivalenol (DON) and control diets that contained little (.2 mg DON/kg) or no DON. The DON was from naturally contaminated white winter (.35 and.70 mg/kg; Experiment 1) or spring wheat (1.4 and 4.5 mg/kg) and purified DON (1.4 mg/kg; Experiment 2). Testing lasted 14 to 16 days for each hen, with the position of the separate feed containers that held the control or DON diet being altered daily. The birds showed large individual differences in diet selection. The majority of the hens consumed more (P<.05) of the control diet, but a few consistently preferred the DON-containing diets. In addition, some birds showed a consistent preference for the position of the feed container, usually for the diet presented on the right side of their cage front. On average, the hens ate less of the DON diets, but their intakes varied depending on the level of contamination (.35 vs. 4.5 mg/kg) and source of DON. A diet containing purified DON was rejected more strongly than one containing a similar level (1.4 mg/kg) of naturally occurring DON. Based on daily intake of the control and DON diets from each feed container in Experiment 2, the individual hens were categorized into those that preferred the control diets, the DON diets, the position of the feed container, and those that showed no clear preference. In a third experiment, these hens were given the control or DON-containing (4.