N.A. MUSHARAF and W.M. JANSSEN
Spelderholt Centre of Poultry Research and Extension, Beekbergen, The
Netherlands.
SUMMARY
An experiment was conducted in a climate chamber to study the effects of water temperature and feed density on the production characteristics of laying hens during heat stress. Following a preliminary period of adaptation, pullets at 25 weeks of age, were moved to the climate chamber and maintained at 38 °C from 8.00 Hrs to 17.00 Hrs and at 28 °C from 17.00 His to 8.00 Hrs at constant 55% relative humidity. A low density diet
- (15% C.P.; 10.54 MJ/ kg ME) was compared to a high density diet
- (25% C.P.; 12.15 MJ/ kg ME) at cool running water “C” of 7 °C and warm stagnant water “W” one °C lower than the ambient temperature in the chamber. The treatments were tested with 120 birds, arranged in 24 groups of 5 birds over 11 periods of 14 days.
Cool water and high density feed improve feed consumption, egg weight, feed efficiency and final body weight (p < 0.01). Apart from egg weight, other egg quality characteristics were not affected by water temperature.
Read Full Text
Download As : PDF