Response of adult mallard ducks to ingested South Louisiana crude oil

Adult mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were fed South Louisiana crude oil as 0.25 and 2.5% of the total diet for 26 weeks to assess the chronic effects of oil ingestion. Additional birds were fed diets containing either 1.0% of a paraffin mixture or clean feed. No birds died during the study, nor were their body weights significantly depressed. Oviduct weight at necropsy was greatly reduced in hens on the 2.5% oil diet and also was significantly reduced in hens on the 0.25% oil diet when compared with controls. Male reproductive organs were not atrophied by treatment. Hens on oil-treated diets laid fewer eggs than those on the control diet; however, eggs from treated hens hatched as well as those from controls when artificially incubated. Pathological or biochemical alterations were no greater in the treated birds than in controls.