OF CLEAVERS (GALIUM APARINE) SEEDS ON HEALTHY STATUS AND PRODUCTION TRAITS IN BROILER CHICKENS

OF CLEAVERS (GALIUM APARINE) SEEDS ON HEALTHY STATUS AND PRODUCTION TRAITS IN BROILER CHICKENS

519.. Galium aparine, cleavers or stickywilly, is an annual weed in cereals and earthed-up crops, is an herbal plant belonging to the Galium genus (herbarium).

520.The seeds (fruit) are dry, round or kidney-shaped, with smooth, corrugated or granular surface, sometimes covered with hooked prickles, brown or grey colour and are notched on one side („nuts"). On the left - seeds with coat, on the right without coat.

521.In the gizzard of chickens, the seeds become white with a contrasting black-coloured unipolar groove, similar to an eye. Most probably, that is why they are called „snake eye".

522.. Purulent necrotic processes in the gizzard of a chicken. The health is influenced by consequences of mechanical obstruction because of seeds' accumulation in the gizzard. A direct toxic effect of Galium aparine is also supposed (primarily hepato- and nephrotoxic), due to release of toxic glycosides and other toxic substances from the seeds.