Low concentrations of zearalenone in diets of boars for a prolonged period of time.

Thirty-two boars were fed diets containing 0, 3, 6 or 9 ppm zearalenone from 32 d of age up to 145 or 312 d of age. Rate of gain, feed intake and gain:feed were not significantly different among treatments. Feeding of diets containing 9 ppm zearalenone did not affect the libido in seven boars. There was a tendency for boars fed 9 ppm dietary zearalenone to produce lower total and gel free volumes of semen, with lower total motile sperm; however, only the percent motility of the sperm was reduced (P less than .05).