Role of magnesium in egg shell formation in the domestic hen.

1. The effects of feeding diets containing various amounts of magnesium on plasma concentration of calcium and magnesium in the domestic hen were investigated. 2. Plasma concentrations of calcium and magnesium decreased during shell formation in all birds. 3. Plasma magnesium content and egg shell thickness were severely reduced in birds given diets containing either 207 or 132 mg Mg++/kg. 4. Using electron microscopy, a precise correlation was observed between the normal distributions of magnesium and organic material across the egg shell of the domestic hen.