Understanding the Effects of Magnetised Water on Poultry Health & Production

Key Insights on Magnetised Water and Poultry Health

Importance of Water for Animals: Water is a crucial nutrient for animals, making up over 98% of all molecules in the body. It is essential for various biological processes such as growth, production, digestion, lactation, and maintaining electrolyte balance.
Magnetic Treatment of Water: The process involves passing tap water through a magnetic field, which alters its properties. This interaction can change the mineral content of the water, with effects depending on the magnetic field’s strength and exposure time.
Effects on Ions and Biological Activity: When water is magnetised, positively charged ions like calcium and magnesium, and negatively charged ions such as carbonate and sulphate, are directed towards each other with increased velocity. This energizes them, enhancing the biological activity of solutions and positively affecting animal performance.
Improvement in Water Quality: Magnetising water can improve its quality by increasing its electric conductivity and dielectric constant. This change in the biological properties of water can be beneficial for animal health.
Alkaline Water Benefits: Magnetised water can lead to the creation of more hydroxyl ions, forming alkaline molecules that reduce acidity. Drinking alkaline water has been shown to have a beneficial influence on poultry health.

What is Magnetised Water?

Magnetised water is regular water that has been exposed to a magnetic field. This process changes some of the water’s properties, like its weight and acidity level.
When water is magnetised, it creates more hydroxyl ions (OH-). These ions make the water more alkaline, which means it is less acidic.
Alkaline water is thought to be healthier for poultry, which are birds like chickens and turkeys, because it can help their bodies work better.

Physics Behind Magnetised Water

In simple terms, when water is exposed to magnets, it changes a bit. Think of it like how a magnet can make metal move. Here, the magnet changes the water’s acidity.
The water becomes more alkaline, which is a fancy way of saying it has a higher pH level. pH is a scale that tells us how acidic or basic something is.
For poultry, the ideal pH level for water is up to 8. This is considered safe and beneficial for their health.
High Gauss Magnetised Water – “Gauss” is a unit that measures the strength of a magnetic field. High gauss (more than 10000 gauss) magnetised water seems to make calcium more available to hens, which helps improve eggshell quality without harming the hens.

Benefits of Magnetised Water for Poultry

Some studies, like the one by Wasef in 1996, found that giving poultry magnetised water can make them healthier. It showed fewer birds died and they got sick less often.
Another study by Sagbaug in 2003 noticed that chickens drank less water but still grew well. This means they used their food more efficiently, which is called a better feed conversion ratio. However, Mahmoud et al. (2017) found that Sasso broiler chicks provided with magnetised drinking water had significantly greater body weights at market age compared to those receiving tap water (1914g vs. 1838g). Additionally, daily water consumption was higher in the magnetised water group (1.77 ml/bird/day) compared to the control group (1.24 ml/bird/day).
A good feed conversion ratio (FCR) means the birds need less food to grow, which is good for farmers because it saves money.
Body Weight and Feed Conversion in Geese: El-Hanoun et al. (2017) discovered that geese drinking magnetised water gained more weight (19.6% more) and used their food more efficiently (18.2% better feed conversion rate). Feed conversion rate is a measure of how well animals turn their food into body mass. Better rates mean less food is needed for the same weight gain.
Renal and Hepatic Functions: The study also noted improvements in kidney (renal) and liver (hepatic) functions in geese, suggesting better overall health.
Growth in Ducklings: El-Katcha et al. (2017) observed that Pekin ducklings, a type of duck often raised for meat, also grew better and used their food more efficiently when given magnetised water.
Physiological Traits in Broiler Chickens: Jassim and Aqeel (2017) found that using ionised alkaline drinking water for broiler chickens could improve certain physiological traits, such as haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit. However, it did not affect other blood parameters or liver enzymes.
Japanese Quail: Al-Hilali (2018) concluded that magnetised water could enhance all biochemical and physiological properties in Japanese quail, potentially improving their productivity.
Physiological Traits in Broiler Chickens: Jassim and Aqeel (2017) found that using ionised alkaline drinking water for broiler chickens could improve certain physiological traits, such as haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit. However, it did not affect other blood parameters or liver enzymes .

Effects of Magnetised Water on Poultry Health and Immune Response

Anti-inflammatory Effects: Exposure of tap water to an electromagnetic field may have anti-inflammatory effects, potentially stimulating the production of cytokines, which mediate an enhanced immune response. This suggests that magnetised water could play a role in boosting the immune system of poultry by influencing both innate and adaptive immune responses .
Immune System Enhancement: Magnetised water has been reported to inhibit the primary immune response (IgM) of rabbits against bacterial infections, indicating its potential to modulate immune responses in animals. This could be beneficial in enhancing the overall health and disease resistance in poultry .
Improvement in Physiological and Immunological Systems: For geese, magnetised drinking water (6000 gauss) has been shown to improve water quality and enhance physiological and immunological systems. This suggests that similar benefits could be extended to other poultry species, potentially improving their health and productivity.
Antioxidant Properties: Magnetic water acts as an effective antioxidant, protecting cells and tissues from harmful acids and oxygen ions. This protective effect can help reduce oxidative stress in poultry, thereby supporting better health and performance.
Enhanced Absorption and Metabolism: The use of magnetised water positively influences absorption and metabolism in the body, leading to increased cell viability and immunity. It also decreases lipid peroxidation biomarkers (MDA and TBRS), which improves the body’s tolerance to pollutants and protects against free radicals.
Researchers named El-Katcha and others in 2017 discovered that when Pekin ducklings drank magnetised water, their immune systems got stronger. The immune system is like the body’s defense army, fighting off germs and diseases. So, stronger immune systems mean healthier ducklings.
In 2018, the same researchers found that broiler chicks had better immune responses when they drank magnetised water. They measured “antibody titres,” which are like markers showing how ready the body is to fight a specific disease. The chicks had higher antibody titres against a disease called Newcastle disease at 35 days old. This means they were better prepared to fight off this disease.
Phagocytic activity refers to the action of certain immune cells, like macrophages, that eat up harmful bacteria and other invaders. The study showed that this activity increased by about 42.9% in chicks drinking magnetised water. Imagine these cells as tiny Pac-Men gobbling up bad germs more effectively.

Effects of Magnetised Water on Poultry Gut Health

Harmful Bacteria in Gut: The research also found that magnetised water reduced the number of harmful bacteria in parts of the chicken’s gut, specifically the jejunum and colon. The jejunum and colon are parts of the intestines where food is digested and nutrients are absorbed. The bacterial count dropped by about 9.9% in the jejunum and 27.2% in the colon. Fewer harmful bacteria mean a healthier gut.
Villus Height and Muscle Thickness: Al-Fadul (2006) found that magnetised water helps the chickens’ intestines (specifically the jejunum, a part of the small intestine) develop better. The villi, which are tiny finger-like structures that help absorb nutrients, become taller. This can help chickens get more nutrients from their food, leading to better growth and health.

Overall Disinfection Effect

There is evidence that a magnetic field can be used to inhibit specific bacteria such as E. coli. A study reported a maximum disinfection efficiency of 82.2% for bacteria exposed to a magnetic flux of 10 mT for 6 hours, indicating that magnetised water can effectively reduce bacterial load
Magnetised water can have a big cleaning effect on harmful bacteria in chickens. This means it helps keep the chickens’ guts healthy by reducing the number of bad bacteria, which can lead to better growth and health.
Water Quality Improvements: Ebrahim and Azab (2017) observed that exposing water to a magnetic field improved its quality by altering pH, salinity, total hardness, dissolved solids, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, organic matter, and bacterial count. These changes could enhance blood and biochemical parameters and antioxidant status in animals.

Effect of Magnatise Water on Egg Production & their Quality

El-Sabrout and Hanafy (2017): These researchers studied Lohmann Brown hens, a type of chicken known for laying eggs. They found that when these hens drank magnetised water, their eggs had thicker and heavier shells. However, the number of eggs laid and the weight of the eggs did not change.
Magnetised water has been shown to enhance eggshell thickness and weight in hens, leading to stronger eggshells. This is attributed to increased levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood of hens consuming magnetised water
El-Sabry et al. (2018): Another study found that magnetised water did not affect the number of eggs produced or the total weight of the eggs. This shows that while the shell quality improved, other aspects of egg production remained the same.
Hens drinking magnetised water had eggshells that were thicker (0.36 mm compared to 0.33 mm) and heavier (59.00 g compared to 57.62 g) than those drinking regular tap water.
The levels of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in the blood of hens drinking magnetised water were higher. Calcium and phosphorus are important minerals for strong eggshells. The levels were 32.60 mg/dl for calcium and 6.78 mg/dl for phosphorus, compared to 27.62 mg/dl and 4.55 mg/dl in hens drinking tap water.

Effect of Magnatise Water on Semen Quality of Breeders

The quality and quantity of semen in roosters and geese have been reported to improve with the consumption of magnetised water, which can enhance reproductive success.
Wang et al. (1998): Magnetised water was found to improve the efficiency of biological and biochemical reactions in sperm cells. This means it could help in the reproduction process.
Al-Daraji and Aziz (2008): Roosters that drank magnetised water had better quality and quantity of semen compared to those drinking tap water.
El-Hanoun et al. (2017): Similarly, geese that drank magnetised water had better semen quality than those drinking regular water.
Magnetised water has been shown to have a positive effect on the semen quality of poultry:
Improved Semen Quality: Research indicates that the quality and quantity of semen from roosters that consumed magnetised water were significantly better compared to those that drank regular tap water. This suggests that magnetised water can enhance reproductive performance in poultry by improving semen characteristics.
Consistency Across Species: Similar improvements in semen quality have been observed in other poultry species, such as geese, when they were provided with magnetised water. This consistency across different types of poultry highlights the potential benefits of magnetised water in enhancing reproductive health. In summary, magnetised water appears to positively influence semen quality in poultry, potentially leading to better reproductive outcomes.

Conflicting Research Findings

No Significant Effects: Not all studies agree on the benefits of magnetised water. Al-Mufarrej et al. (2005) found no significant improvements in the growth or meat quality of broiler chickens drinking magnetised water. Similarly, Alhassani and Amin (2012) reported no noticeable differences in body weight, feed conversion, or overall production performance between birds drinking regular tap water and those drinking magnetised water.
Similarly, Mitre in 2018 found that magnetised water didn’t change how efficiently male broiler chickens (a type of chicken raised for meat) used their food.

Disadvantages

Inconsistent Effects on Egg Production:
- While magnetised water improves eggshell quality, its effects on overall egg production and egg mass are inconsistent. Some studies report no significant impact on egg yield or weight.
Variable Impact on Productive Performance:
- The effects of magnetised water on the productive performance and carcass quality of broiler chickens are not always significant, with some studies reporting no notable differences compared to tap water.
Potential for Overestimation:
- The benefits of magnetised water can vary depending on the strength of the magnetic field (measured in gauss), and not all studies agree on its effectiveness, indicating a need for further research to confirm these findings across different conditions and poultry breeds.

Conclusion:

The effects of magnetised water on poultry are mixed. Some studies show clear benefits, like faster growth and better health, while others see no difference. This suggests that the impact of magnetised water might depend on other factors, such as the specific conditions of the study or the type of poultry being raised. More research is needed to fully understand how and when magnetised water can be most beneficial for poultry.