Broiler Water Use Update
Regular monitoring of broiler drinking water consumption helps track flock health and performance. A sudden dip or downward trend can alert the producer to potentially serious health or production problems.
Unfortunately, most of the scientific data in this area is decades old and even the most recent data do not account for important advances in broiler genetics, housing, and production technology, particularly drinkers. By the traditional measure -- water volume per 1,000 birds per week -- it looks like today's broilers, including heavy broilers, are consuming more water than their predecessors. However, this study shows that they actually are consuming less water per body weight and may be more water efficient. The relationship between water consumption (WC) and body weight (BW) is key.
Water is an essential nutrient, vital for metabolic functions. In broilers, WC also is critical to body temperature control. However, given advancing genetics, new production technology, and broad range of broiler target weights, there is a dearth of up-to-date WC data. This update comes from a poultry research team from Auburn University and the USDA-ARS Poultry Research Unit at Mississippi State University.
National Research Council recommendations (NRC, 1994) used data compiled from studies raising broilers from five to nine weeks, summarizing weekly WC values. However, NRC cautioned that the reported data varied depending on in-house air temperature, diet, growth rate, and equipment used in the studies. In 2013, researchers reported on differences in WC for broilers grown to six weeks, raised under comparable commercial conditions during 1991, 2000-2001, and 2010-2011. They concluded that WC had significantly increased -- about 1,980 L/1,000 birds (523 gal./1000 birds) over that 20-year test period -- suggesting that the NRC guidelines appeared to behind the times.
The authors of the current study point out that, while WC increased over the past 30 years, water wastage decreased, thanks largely to the industry transitioning from open, bowl-type waterers to closed nipple-type drinkers.
"There is, however," the research team states, "a lack of information within the literature regarding (heavy) broilers... under commercially relevant conditions."
In this study, the researchers conducted two trials (Flock 1 for winter conditions and Flock 2 for summer conditions) using a tunnel-ventilated research facility at the USDA Poultry Research Unit in Starkville, MS. They provided ad lib water and feed, checking for mortalities daily and not replacing birds (per industry practice). Each flock started with 2,160 Ross 708 straight run broiler chicks obtained from a commercial hatchery and grown to 63 days with a target weight of 4.1 kg (9.02 lb.).
Pens mimicked a commercial housing setup with the environment maintained using an electronic environmental controller reporting in-house air temperature, lighting intensity, photoperiod, and ventilation. Broilers received rations through a mechanical auger feedline system installed in the center of each pen with load cells weighing feed delivery. Flanking the feedline were two gravity-fed commercial drinker lines using a nipple system and drip trays. Drinker "density" followed the primary breeder's recommendation -- 9 birds per nipple for birds over 3 kg (6.6 lbs.). A scale and datalogger system measured water weights (kg), reporting daily WC as L/1,000 birds with adjustments made for pen mortality.
In general, the researchers found that daily WC increased with broiler age, which was consistent with similar trends from previous research. A drop in daily WC during a "disease event" was likewise consistent: "Daily WC can be an indicator of a disease outbreak."
Mortality in Flock 1 (winter, 3.7%) was lower than in Flock 2 (summer, 4.6%) and Flock 1 BW was greater for weeks 2 to 9. While both flocks exceeded the target weight of 4.1 kg at week 9, the winter-reared birds were heavier by more than 930 g/bird (2.05 lb./bird).
"Elevated environmental temperatures likely contributed to lower Flock 2 BW," the researchers reported, although they also noted a spike in flock mortality in week 2, attributed to runting-stunting syndrome (RSS) and septicemia due to E. coli infection.
"While cumulative WC was greater for Flock 1 (15,276 L/1,000 birds) compared to Flock 2 (13,982 L/1,000 birds), differences in means between the two flocks were not significant (P = 0.4178)."
What does this study mean for producers?
-
Monitor water consumption (WC) of broilers -- ideally on a daily basis -- in order to detect early signs of disease or other performance-robbing conditions.
-
Consider using WC in conjunction with body weight (BW) to calculate the WC:BW ratio (mL of WC to kg of BW), which will help track changes due to genetics, equipment, and health interventions.
-
Watch for future broiler WC studies to include additional data on BW, environmental set-points, in-house air temperature, lighting photoperiod and intensity, diet composition by feeding phase, drinking system technology, etc.
The full paper, titled "Water consumption trends for commercial broilers grown to nine weeks" can be found in Applied Poultry Research and online here.
DOI: 10.1016/j.japr.2024.100511
#InterpretiveSummary