Egg shell quality responses of pullets given saline drinking water at different ages

1. Saline drinking water given to pullets before sexual maturity had no effect on their subsequent egg shell quality. 2. Hens receiving saline drinking water from or after laying their first egg produced significantly more egg shell defects than hens receiving town water. 3. The production of eggs with defective shells occurred more rapidly when saline drinking water was given to 40-week-old hens than to hens during the first few weeks of lay. 4. The high incidence of egg shell defects resulting from the use of saline drinking water was reduced to control levels when hens in early lay were given town water for 5 weeks. This response was not observed with 40-week-old hens.