Toxicity of Jimson Weed Seed and Cocoa Shell Meal to Broilers

Abstract Jimson weed seed meal, which contains alkaloids toxic to animals, and cocoa shell meal, which contains theobromine, also toxic to animals, were used in two experiments with broilers to determine relative toxicity. Pure theobromine was added to diets to furnish the same levels as furnished by 1, 2, 4, and 6% dietary cocoa shell meal, which contained, by analysis, 1.3% theobromine. Approximately 1% jimson meal is the upper dietary limit that can be safely incorporated into the diet of young broilers. Dietary levels of 3 and 6% from 1 to 21 days of age drastically depressed performance. Cocoa shell meal that contained 1.3% theobromine was somewhat less toxic to chicks than jimson meal. However, performance tended to be depressed with dietary levels above 1%. Pure theobromine was a little more toxic than that furnished by cocoa shell meal.