WATER INTAKE ▶▶▶
Factors affecting water intake and its utilisation by chickens
Water is essential for life and should be regarded as a major factor in poultry rearing and management. The following is a review of some aspects related to water intake and utilisation which should be considered when attempting to achieve better performance.
BY SALAH H. ESMAIL, PHD Water factors
Water source There is a strong relationship between water acidity/alkalin- ity and the depth of wells from which water is extracted. At 30 metres deep, water was found to be acidic, while in depths of 100 metres or more the water was usually alkaline. Acidic water is more prone to parasitic infestation and could also lead to serious health problems. With alkaline water, there is an indication of water being contaminated with salts such as so- dium bicarbonate. Ingestion of bicarbonate-contaminated wa- ter often leads to reduced utilisation of some dietary minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. The pH in water was optimal with wells that are 50-60 metres deep.
Watering system The amount of water consumed through the trough system is usually greater compared to the amount consumed with the nipple system. These results, however, may reflect more
Table 1 – Comparative performance of broilers reared on nipple or trough watering systems.
Water consumption (ml/bird/day) Feed conversion Bodyweight (kg)
Mortality in the first 14 days (%) Condemnations (%)
26
Trough 166 1.91 1.95 1.20 1.17
Nipple 245 1.92 1.96 1.30 1.40
▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 29, No. 8, 2021
the disappearance of water rather than actual consumption by the birds. Broilers provided with nipple drinkers had im- proved feed conversion and slightly lighter weights, with less mortality and condemnations compared to broilers given wa- ter in troughs (Table 1). Further, the nipple drinkers required less labour for cleaning and disinfection than other water supply systems. Nipple drinkers, being enclosed, provide a highly sanitary source of water and hence prevent many dis- ease problems that are associated with the use of other types of drinker.
Use of cold water A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cold water (8.0°C) and ordinary water (29.5°C) on the production param- eters of broiler chickens for four weeks. With cold water, the effects of heat stress were alleviated and the birds were able to gain more weight and had higher feed efficiency. Birds were also more responsive to vitamin C supplementation (500 mg per litre of water) when offered cold water, as they had better survival and higher carcass quality, with special reference to the breast meat yield (Table 2).
Water flavours Although chickens have fewer taste buds than other animals (316, 1706, 2755, 19904, and 20000 buds in chickens, dogs, cats, pigs and cows, respectively), they still have a well-de- fined sense of taste and will accept or reject certain flavors. Generally, birds prefer water that is slightly acidic or supple- mented with products such as thiamine and sugars, while re- jecting other flavors such as xylose and saccharine. It is to be noted though that products with a given flavour may not al- ways be compatible with the bird’s taste. This suggests the need for trying different products to ensure that they cause no decrease in water consumption or an unwanted decline in production.
Oxygenation of water A new system of providing oxygenated water to poultry has recently been developed by H2O Technologies in the USA.
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