Broilers provid- ed with the nip- ple drinkers had improved feed conversion and slightly lighter weights, com- pared to broilers given water in troughs.
The addition of oxygen to water helped increase metabolic rates in broilers, resulting in a 32% increase in feed efficiency and a 12% reduction in feed cost. These results are certainly promising for most poultry enterprises aiming at achieving target slaughter weights in shorter periods.
Feed factors
The amount of feed consumed Chicken requires 0.91 to 1.36 kg of water for every 0.45 kg of feed consumed. Daily water intake, therefore, varies consider- ably according to the feed intake level.
The moisture content of the feed The consumption of water by birds will to some extent vary ac- cording to the moisture content of the feed. This point is of par- ticular importance when certain medicinal products are added to the drinking water. With high-moisture feed, the amount of medicine may be reduced to below the desired level.
Dietary energy Chickens consuming high-energy feeds require less water than those receiving low-energy diets. This is due primarily to the differences in the amounts of water formed in the body per gram of nutrient metabolised. It is estimated that the amounts of water released in grams were 1.70 and 0.56 g of fat and starch oxidised in the body, respectively.
Dietary protein The type of protein used in feed formulation can have a sig- nificant effect on water consumption. Protein sources such as soybean and meat-and-bone meals tend to increase water consumption compared to other protein sources. Certain fish meals contain a higher sodium concentration depending on the age and type of fish used, which will also tend to increase water consumption.
Environmental factors Most water consumption charts are based on an environmen- tal temperature of 21°C. However, it was reported that with broilers the consumption of water increases about 7% for each 1°C above 21°C. Under extremely hot conditions the overall activity of birds decreases and feed and water intake also tends to decrease. Therefore, survival under such conditions is unlikely because of the inadequate amount of water used to remove heat from the respiratory surfaces of the body.
References are available from the author upon request.
Table 2 – Effects of water temperature on weight gain, feed efficiency, and response to vitamin C supplementation.
Initial weight at 4 weeks of age (kg) Final weight at 8 weeks of age (kg) Total weight gain (kg) Feed conversion ratio
Survival (%) Breast meat yield (%) Adapted from: M.O. Abioja (2011) ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 29, No. 8, 2021 27
Ordinary water 0.51 1.45 0.94 3.32
Cold water 0.50 1.53 1.03 2.94
Ordinary water + Vit. C Cold water + Vit. C 93.2 17.0
94.0 18.4
Dietary fibre Diets high in fibre will increase water consumption. Since more faeces are produced with high-fibre diets, the bird will require more water for faecal production. The average mois- ture content of poultry faeces is 75%, but this varies accord- ing to diet, disease, and genetic factors.
PHOTO: LEX SALVERDA
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