A Case of Infertility in Pheasants Discription - Reproduction - Aetiology

In the year 1976, during the reproductive season, a severe problem occurred on a pheasant farm. Eggs were infertile and male pheasants developed an atrophy of the testes with a more or less complete aplasia of the seminiferous tissue. The outstanding feature was the severe lesions in the male genital organs and absence of changes in the female. Initial inquiries did not provide a satisfactory explanation for this observation but led us to suspect the toxic action of Zearalenone and its derivatives. Injecting sexually active male pheasants with dihydrogenated Zearalenone reproduced the lesions in the testes. It therefore seems reasonable to suggest that the problem seen in 1976 was caused by contamination of the feed with Zearalenone. Pheasants react to this compound in the same way as geese, turkeys and hens.