THE EFFECT OF ALUMINUM IN DRINKING-WATER ON YOUNG AND OLD LAYING CHICKENS

Pullets and hens (56 each), placed on the same experimental diet, were each divided equally into 4 groups. They were each randomly assigned to 4 different drinking water treatments, viz. bore-hole water, and bo re-hole water to which powdered aluminium sulphate was added to give a luminium concentration of 10, 20 or 40 mg/litre. The chicken received these water treatments for 14 weeks. Water treatments had no significa nt effect (P > 0.05) on water consumption, feed intake, egg production . egg weight, body weight, feed efficiency or egg shell thickness of p ullets and hens, whereas their effect on Haugh units and yolk choleste rol of eggs laid was significant (P < 0.05). Aluminium concentration o f up to 40 mg/litre in drinking water, is considered safe for laying c hicken whose daily water consumption and live weight are 0.197-0.2231 and 1.72-1.90 kg respectively. Furthermore, aluminium concentration of 40 mg/litre is able to reduce the yolk-cholesterol content in old lay ers.