Nutritional and environmental factors involved in egg shell quality of laying hens

1. Two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of lighting regime, dietary calcium source and sodium bicarbonate on production variables and egg shell quality of White Leghorn hens. In both experiments, hens were assigned to one of three lighting programmes that provided evening, morning or intermittent (midnight) lighting supplements in addition to natural daylight. Experimental diets used in the first study were formulated to contain (1) ground oyster shell flour, (2) limestone flour, or (3) and (4) the same +2/3 of the calcium source as hen-size oyster shell grit. The same 4 diets plus those containing hen-size limestone or hen-size limestone and oyster shells were used in experiment II. Additionally, diets in the first experiment contained either 0 or 10 g/kg sodium bicarbonate. 2. Hen-day egg production and food consumption were not affected by any of the experimental treatments. Hens fed on oyster shell diets or exposed to intermittent lighting regimes laid eggs of the highest specific gravity. Shell quality, as measured by specific gravity, was not affected by the addition of dietary sodium bicarbonate. 3. As expected, elevated temperatures (greater than 32 degrees C) significantly reduced egg shell quality. However, this effect was variable particularly in experiment II which used younger hens. 4. The shell quality of eggs from hens exposed to intermittent lighting in experiment II was significantly higher in each of the 4 sampling periods: morning (08.00-12.00), afternoon (12.00-16.00), evening (16.00-20.00) and night (20.00-08.00). 5. It is suggested that midnight lighting programmes provide a means of supporting egg shell quality of older laying hens during the summer months without a significant reduction in egg production.