APPARENT SELENIUM TOXICITY IN EMUS (DROMAIUS-NOVAEHOLLANDIAE)

A commercial emu breeder experienced high embryonic mortality during t he 1992-93 breeding season, apparently associated with high levels of selenium. The feed was a mixture of catfish food supplemented with a v itamin E and selenium premix. The mixture contained an average of 1.4 ppm selenium. Selenium analysis was conducted on eggs from several hen s laid during the period of vitamin and selenium supplementation and a fter the supplementation was withdrawn. Initial egg selenium levels ra nged from 1.2 to 7.1 ppm, with a mean value of 4.2 +/- 0.7 ppm (n = 9) . Eggs collected over a 2-month period post withdrawal contained 2.1 /- 0.2 ppm selenium (n = 6). Eggs sampled between 2 and 3 months post- withdrawal contained 1.1 +/- 0.1 ppm selenium (n = 4). Egg selenium le vels decreased significantly over the S-month period (P < 0.05) for ea ch individual sample.