Effect of external application of pesticides to the fertile egg on hatching success and early chick performance 2. Commercial-herbicide mixtures of 2,4-D with picloram or 2,4,5-T using the pheasant

Summary

Aqueous solutions of 2,4-D:picloram and 2,4-D:2,4,5-T equivalent to recommended and 10x field concentrations, respectively, were sprayed on fertile pheasant eggs preceeding incubation. No treatments were found to cause any adverse effect on hatching success, incidence of malformed embryos or subsequent chick mortality relative to watersprayed control eggs. Herbicide contamination was found to facilitate weight gain of males from 0 to 4 weeks of age while females failed to elicit a response. Residue analysis verified herbicide deposition on the shell and entry into the egg. These results completely paralleled those of an earlier study with the domestic chicken.