DOES MAGNETIZED DRINKING WATER AFFECT PRODUCTIVITY AND EGG QUALITY OF LAYERS?

Abstract

Water is a major component of cells in living organisms, and is important to poultry health and productivity. This study was conducted to evaluate production and quality of eggs from laying hens receiving magnetized drinking water. One hundred ninety-two Hy-Line W36 hens, 48-wk of age, were housed in a tunnel ventilated house. On d 1 of the trial, hens were randomly allotted to treatment groups of control (C; un-magnetized water line) or polyvinylchloride water line with 3000 Gauss magnet (MW) on the exterior surface. There were three replicates per treatment with 6 cages of 6 hens per cage (replicate 1) or 5 hens per cage (replicates 2 and 3). Standard laying diet and water were provided ad libitum. The trial was conducted for two consecutive months. The egg production was monitored daily while egg weight, shell weight and thickness, internal egg quality and egg yolk mineral content analyses were measured weekly. At the end of the experiment, eggs from each treatment from 3 consecutive days were used to determine breaking strength. Water pH of the MW group was lower (8.21, for the 1 st month and 8.16, for the 2 nd month) than those of C group (8.31 and 8.34, during the 1 st and 2 nd month, respectively). Egg production and egg weight were not affected by the treatment. Internal egg quality characteristics and shell mass of the eggs from hens in the MW group were improved (P = 0.04) compared to eggs from hens in the C group throughout the experimental period, and they had thicker (P = 0.03) shells during the second month of the study. In conclusion, magnetized drinking water can improve egg quality characteristics without affecting egg production or egg mass.