New grain legume for layers

Due to evidence of paralysis in hens resulting from diets including a type of grain called Lathyrus, this study examined long term feeding trials of a new type of grain developed by the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA). The grain, called “Chalus”, was developed as a high quality option which is low in the neurotoxins that lead to paralysis and is economical for animal feed in Australia. The examination was also conducted in order to demonstrate the safety of the grain and show that production and egg quality were not adversely affected. The present study found that hens were not affected by the small amount of neurotoxins in the diet and did not affect consumers of eggs or bird tissue.