Toxicological Effects of Mercury Chloride on Laying Performance, Egg Quality, Serum Biochemistry, and Histopathology of Liver and Kidney in Laying Hens

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of mercury chloride (HgCl2) on laying performance, egg quality, hepatic and renal histopathology, and serum biochemical profiles in laying hens. A total of 768 Hy-line brown laying hens aged 40 weeks were randomly allocated to four groups (8 pens per group and 24 hens per pen). The concentrations of mercury (Hg) in four groups were 0.280, 3.325, 9.415, and 27.240 mg/kg. Results revealed that dietary Hg could significantly reduce laying performance (P