Water usage of broiler breeders

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Poultry Nutrition
• Animal Husbandry

Background:

• Skip-a-day feeding is a common practice in broiler production.
• Understanding water consumption patterns is crucial for optimizing poultry health and performance.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the impact of skip-a-day feeding on water intake dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify water usage in broiler pullets subjected to daily feeding versus skip-a-day feeding regimens.
• To investigate the effects of different water restriction strategies on water intake patterns.
• To assess the impact of feeding and water restriction on growth and feed utilization.

Main Methods:

• Two trials were conducted using broiler pullets housed in cages.
• Birds were subjected to daily feeding with free water access or skip-a-day feeding with varying water restriction levels (4h daily, 4h on feed days, or free access).
• Water consumption, spillage, body weight gain, and metabolizable energy were measured.

Main Results:

• Skip-a-day fed birds consumed more water on feed days compared to off-feed days, with significant differences in Trial 2.
• Water intake on off-feed days was lower in restricted birds compared to daily-fed birds.
• Overall daily water consumption and spillage were not affected by feeding or water restriction, but the pattern of consumption was altered.
• Daily feeding resulted in increased body weight gain compared to skip-a-day feeding, though water restriction did not affect growth.

Conclusions:

• Skip-a-day feeding primarily influences the pattern of water consumption rather than the overall daily water usage in broiler pullets.
• Daily feeding promotes better body weight gain compared to skip-a-day feeding.
• Water restriction regimens, within the tested parameters, did not negatively impact growth or feed metabolizable energy.