EDUCATION AND PRODUCTION
Water Consumption of Broiler Chickens Under Commercial Conditions
G. M. PESTI
Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
S. V. AMATO, and L. R. MINEAR
Gold Kist Incorporated, Atlanta, Georgia 30301
(Received for publication May 21, 1984)
ABSTRACT
The daily water consumption of twenty-four flocks of commercial broiler chickens
was measured (average = 19,757 birds/flock). Broilers were raised in two houses — a conventional,
open, automatic side-curtained house and a totally enclosed, power-ventilated house on the same
premises. Commercially available strains were used and various feed additives were compared
during the trials. Water:feed consumption ratios averaged 1.77 g/g. Water consumption was a linear
function of broiler age (R 2 >.99). It could be predicted by multiplying 5.28 g times the broiler's
age (5.1 g for birds slaughtered in the cooler times of the year or 5.7 for those slaughtered in
the warmest months). Housing type had no effect on water consumption. Increasing dietary
sodium increased water consumption, although its effect could not be clearly discerned statistically
from that of female parent genotype. It is suggested that 5.28 ml/bird/day of age is a good method
of predicting the water consumption of broiler chickens.
(Key words: water consumption, broiler, water.feed ratio)
1985 Poultry Science 64:803-808
INTRODUCTION
The ability to predict the water consumption of commercially grown chickens is important. The drinking water is used to deliver
vaccines, vitamins, electrolytes, and antibiotics
to the birds. Water consumption must be
accurately predicted in order for each bird to
receive the appropriate amount of water
additives. Much of the early interest in water
consumption was due to its effect on litter
conditions and moisture.
A number of factors affect the amount of
water a bird will drink. These include environmental factors such as temperature and
humidity (Barott and Pringle, 1947, 1949,
1950; Wilson, 1948); dietary factors such as the
salt content (Kare and Biely, 1948; Marks and
Washburn, 1983); antibiotics (Slinger and
Pepper, 1955); genotype (Marks and Washburn, 1983); and pelleting (Eley and Hoffman,
1949; Marks and Pesti, 1984). Mixed responses
to pelleting may have been due to other dietary
factors (Pesti et al, 1983).
The most common way to predict water
consumption is as a function of the weight of
feed consumed. The "rule of thumb" is that
twice the weight of feed will be consumed daily
as water (National Research Council, 1977).
The reliability of this factor is, however, not
well established. Estimates of water:feed
consumption ratios have ranged from 1.54 for
young Rhode Island Red chicks (Barott and
Pringle, 1949) to 2.4 for White Leghorn females
1 to 16 weeks of age (Medway and Kare, 1959).
More recent estimates were 1.6 to 2.6 for
broiler stocks random bred since the late
1950's and 1.80 to 2.34 for modern commercial broilers (Marks, 1981).
The study reported in this paper was designed to estimate the water consumption of
broiler chickens kept under commercial conditions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Daily water consumption data were collected on 24 flocks of broilers raised under
commercial conditions over a 3-year period,
1981 to 1983. The birds were housed in two
buildings — a conventional open side-curtained
house (122 X 12.2 m) and an enclosed, powerventilated house (122 X 1 1 m ) . Construction of
each house was typical of similar systems used
in the region. Average flock size was 19,782 in
the conventional house and 19,731 in the
closed house (range = 18,000 to 20,350 for
both). Water was supplied through 200 minidrinkers per house for the first 7 days (Fresh
Flow Systems, Comer, GA). Mini-drinkers were
then replaced by 100 2.44-m trough-type
waterers (Shenandoah Manufacturing Inc.,
803
804
PESTI ET AL.
Harrisonburg, VA). Feed was supplied by auger
to 400 33-cm pan-type feeders per house
(Chore-time Equipment Inc., Milford, IN).
Water meters (15.9 mm X 19.1 mm, magnetic)
were manufactured by Gamon-Calmet Industries, Covington, KY. Water meter readings
were recorded daily at approximately 1500 hr.
The birds used in these studies were on
performance tests comparing various feed
additives that are currently being used by the
broiler industry. These included antibiotics,
amino acids, and coccidiostats.
Several commercially available stocks were
used over the course of the data collection.
Chicks from female parent Stock 1 were used in
the first 10 flocks (5 flocks in each house).
Male Parent 1 sired the first two flocks, Male
Parent 2 sired the last three in each house.
Sodium in the feed of these chicks averaged
.176%, and monensin averaged 83.3 g/ton.
Chicks from female Parent 2 were used in
seven of the last eight flocks in each house (the
other two were not identifiable). Male Parents 1
and 2 each sired three of the flocks in each
house. Sodium in the feed of these chicks
averaged .232% and monensin averaged 92.9
g/ton. Average sodium and monensin were
.200% and 89.4 g/ton and .211% and 87.7
g/ton for chicks from Male Parent Stocks 1 and
2, respectively.
Descriptive statistics and regression analyses
were computed by the methods described in
the SAS User's Manual (SAS Institute, 1983).
Because water consumption was greatly reduced on the day each flock went to market,
water consumption to 42 days of age (as well as
total water consumption) was computed for
comparative purposes and for use in the regression analyses. Water consumption to 42
days was used for comparisons between flocks.
Total water consumption (based on total days
to market, Table 1) was used to calculate
water:feed ratios. Regression lines were forced
through the origin. Average feed intake was
calculated by dividing total feed intake by the
average number of live birds.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
From the data in Table 1, it is clear that the
"rule of thumb" that chickens will consume
twice the weight of water as of feed would
overestimate water consumption for these
broilers. Broilers in these trials averaged only
1.77 g water consumption for each gram of
feed consumed. Although there is considerable
variation in watenfeed ratios, the 2:1 figure
was only approached in the warmest months
for birds slaughtered during the third quarter of
the year. A further problem with the 2:1 "rule
of thumb" is that it only partially answers how
much water the birds are drinking and requires that how much feed the birds are eating
be known.
A good guideline to predict water consumption in commercial broilers would seem to
be derived from the slopes of the regression
lines depicting the relationship between broiler
age and water consumption (Tables 1 and 2,
Fig. 1). The water consumption of chicks of
any age can be predicted very accurately by
multiplying the age in days by the appropriate coefficient (5.28 ml overall, Table 2).
Further refinements come by using seasonally
adjusted values — approximately 5.1 ml/day of
age in the cooler, first, and fourth quarters and
5.7 ml/day of age during the warmest third
quarter. Unlike the 2:1 "rule of thumb", these
guidelines are dependent on a known quantity,
the birds' age.
In examining other factors that may influence water consumption, no significant
differences were found between housing types
(Table 1). Although birds kept in the totally
enclosed, power-ventilated house were slightly
heavier and more efficient in their use of feed
at slaughter, their water consumption to 42
days of age was practically identical to those
kept in conventional automatic side-curtained
house conditions.
Other inferences from these data are more
difficult to make because of correlations among
other factors known to affect water consumption. For instance, the chicks from Female
Parent 1 were fed higher dietary sodium than
those of Female Parent 2. Therefore, it is
impossible to conclude positively if the differences in water consumption of the progeny
of the two female parents was due to their
genetic background or their diet. Because of the
magnitude of the differences in water consumption due to sodium and genetics in earlier
studies (Kare and Beily, 1948; Marks, 1980,
1981; Marks and Washburn, 1983), it would
seem logical to conclude that differences
attributed to female parent (Table 1) were
mainly due to differences in dietary soidum.
Differences in water consumption due to
dietary sodium should be considered by the
nutritionist to be a tool by which broiler house
moisture may be manipulated. Water con-
10
12
10
12
Male p a r e n t 2
1
2
Female parent3
1
2
47.3
48.6
46.5
48.0
47.0
48.6
46.0
45.3
50.0
48.0
46.5
46.0
47.0
44.0
47.8
47.5
47.3
47.4
(at slaughter)
47.0
47.8
48.0
46.4
Days to
market
sodium
±
±
±
±
.10
.10
.13
.09
±
±
±
±
+
±
±
±
.02
.07
.13
.18
.09
.08
.12
.16
4.85 ± .06
4 . 6 5 ± .06
5.05 ± .08
4.93 ± .08
4 . 8 1 ± .10
4 . 8 1 ± .09
4 . 8 1 ± .13
4 . 9 6 ± .11
4.64
4.72
4.60
4.64
5.00
5.26
5.21
4.74
4.85 ± .10
4 . 8 5 ± .07
4.70
4.90
5.12
4.67
0-42 days
±
±
±
±
.12
.18
.13
.27
±
+
±
±
±
±
±
±
.40
.32
.16
.01
.22
.03
.13
.06
6.01 ± .12
6.09 ± .21
6.06 + .14
6.36 ± .17
5.84 ± .15
6.31 ± .14
5.58 ± .31
5.59 ± .11
6.59
6.04
5.51
5.28
6.09
5.62
6.63
5.80
5.97 ± .18
6.05 ± .17
5.63
6.24
6.55
5.54
Total
± .04
±.02
± .05
± .04
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
.02
.04
.01
.01
.02
.04
.05
.07
1.71 ± .02
1.69 ± .02
1.71 ± .04
1.71 ± .03
1.70 ± .04
1.69 ± .02
1.69 ± .02
1.80 ± . 0 5
1.68
1.70
1.65
1.83
1.79
1.64
1.63
1.81
1.70 + .03
1.73 ± .03
1.81
1.72
1.65
1.65
Slaughter
weight (kg)
and monensin, and genetic stock on water
broiler chickens (mean ± standard error)
Water c o n s u m p t i o n (kg)
of time of year, dietary
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
±
1.98 ±
2.01 ±
1.98 ±
1.97 ±
2.01 ±
2.04 ±
1.98 ±
1.85 ±
2.09
1.98
2.05
1.88
1.93
1.82
2.11
1.95
2.01 ±
1.96 ±
1.92
1.94
2.08
2.03
FCR1
consumption
Water c o n s u m p t i o n (ml) as a function of age (days).
Stock n o t identified for t w o flocks.
2
3
1
CONV = Conventional a u t o m a t i c side curtains; P W R V N T = totally enclosed, p o w e r ventilated; F C R = feed conve
water:feed ratio (g water c o n s u m p t i o n / g feed c o n s u m p t i o n ) .
24
14
4
6
Monensin, g / t o n
79
99
110
Overall
2
6
2
2
2
2
4
4
%
12
12
6
8
5
5
Dietary sodium,
.14
.16
.18
.21
.22
.23
.25
.26
Housing t y p e
CONV1
PWRVNT
Q u a r t e r of
t h e year
1
2
3
4
No.
flocks
T A B L E 1. The influence
806
PESTI ET AL.
TABLE 2. Observed mean water consumption of broiler chickens and predicted values based on the linear
regression of water consumption on age
Observed
mean
Age
Predicted
value'
95% Confidence interval2
Residual
Lower
Upper
-5.3
15.8
21.1
26.4
31.7
37.0
42.3
47.5
52.8
58.1
63.4
68.7
74.0
79.3
84.6
89.9
95.1
100.4
105.7
111.0
116.3
121.6
126.9
132.2
137.5
142.8
148.1
153.4
158.7
163.9
169.2
174.5
179.8
185.1
190.4
195.7
201.0
206.3
211.6
216.9
222.2
227.5
232.8
(days)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
8.0
5.3
15.7
26.6
32.4
35.4
38.0
42.7
48.6
53.7
59.4
64.0
65.6
73.7
79.8
81.7
90.0
91.1
92.8
95.2
103.9
112.2
115.1
122.9
135.6
133.0
135.7
144.2
148.5
151.3
156.5
165.3
169.5
167.6
181.3
191.6
190.1
199.1
197.6
203.2
205.7
215.4
210.0
10.6
15.9
21.1
26.4
31.7
37.0
42.3
47.6
52.8
58.1
63.4
68.7
74.0
79.3
84.5
89.8
95.1
100.4
105.7
111.0
116.2
121.5
126.8
132.1
137.4
142.7
147.9
153.2
158.5
163.8
169.1
174.4
179.6
184.9
190.2
195.5
200.8
206.1
211.3
216.6
221.9
2.7
5.2
10.8
11.3
9.0
6.3
5.7
6.3
6.1
6.6
5.8
2.2
5.1
5.9
2.4
5.4
1.3
-2.2
-5.1
-1.8
1.3
-1.1
1.4
8.8
.9
-1.7
1.5
.5
-2.0
-2.0
1.6
.4
-6.8
1.6
6.7
-.1
3.6
-3.1
-2.9
-5.6
-1.2
-11.9
0
5.3
10.6
15.7
21.1
26.4
31.7
36.9
42.3
47.5
52.8
58.1
63.4
68.7
73.9
79.2
84.5
89.8
95.0
100.3
105.6
110.9
116.1
121.4
126.7
132.0
137.2
142.5
147.8
153.0
158.3
163.6
168.9
174.1
179.4
184.7
189.9
195.2
200.5
205.7
211
'Predicted from the equation: water consumption = 5.284 X age in days. Coefficient of determination
.998.
2
95% of all individual observations expected to fall within this range.
sumption during the first 42 days averaged 4.65
kg/bird for the four lower sodium levels and
5.05 kg/bird for the four higher dietary sodium
levels. Thus, a considerable amount of water
could be added to a dry house, or eliminated
from a wet one, by adjusting the dietary
sodium.
Water consumption of chicks fed different
monensin levels and from different male parent
stocks is included in Table 1 even though no
differences due to these variables are apparent.
Days to market, slaughter weights, and feed
conversion ratios were included because they
may influence water intake and also because
WATER CONSUMPTION OF BROILERS
807
be expressed, however, since it has been demonstrated that following e x p o s u r e t o coccidia
(Reid and Pitois, 1965) water c o n s u m p t i o n
decreases at the same time as feed c o n s u m p t i o n
decreases. T h e degree of decrease was dep e n d e n t on the degree of infection b u t was as
high as 8 5 % . A similar situation may occur with
other, nonenteric infections.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Supported by state and hatch funds allocated to the Georgia Agricultural E x p e r i m e n t
Stations of the University of Georgia and Gold
Kist, Inc., Atlanta, GA 3 0 3 0 1 , m e m b e r Cooperative Research F a r m s , Inc.
REFERENCES
10
20
30
40
50
AGE IN DAYS
FIG. 1. The relationship between water consumption and broiler age. Water consumption (g) = 5.28
times broiler age (days).
t h e y establish t h a t t h e p e r f o r m a n c e of these
broilers was typical for t h e region.
T h e term " w a t e r c o n s u m p t i o n " in this paper
would m o r e appropriately be " w a t e r disapp e a r a n c e " . No correction has been m a d e for
r a n d o m spillage or evaporative losses. In o t h e r
studies, correction for evaporative losses was
nearly 30% for t h e first day and d r o p p e d to 4%
b y t h e 14th day (Marks, 1980, 1 9 8 1 ; Marks and
Pesti, 1 9 8 4 ) . Such correction would still n o t
yield a t r u e water c o n s u m p t i o n , as broilers get
considerable a m o u n t s of water on their feathers
and wattles when drinking, some of which
evaporates and s o m e of which gets into t h e
litter around the drinkers. These spillage
losses are i m p o r t a n t if delivering solutes to t h e
flock is t h e goal of predicting water c o n s u m p tion. Evaporative water losses from t h e water
troughs merely c o n c e n t r a t e t h e solutes, which
remain available to the birds. Each bird can still
receive t h e desired a m o u n t . Spillage losses,
however, are true losses. T h e solutes are lost
and ineffective.
Stahl and S u n d e ( 1 9 8 3 ) suggested t h a t it is
i m p o r t a n t to be able to predict t h e water
c o n s u m p t i o n of chickens to deliver medicaments to ailing flocks. T h e coefficients determined in this r e p o r t could be used for t h a t
purpose as well. A caution to such use should
Barott, H. G., and E. M. Pringle, 1947. Effect of
environment on growth and feed and water
consumption of chickens. I. The effect of temperature on environment during the first nine
days after hatch. J. Nutr. 34:53-67.
Barott, H. G„ and E. M. Pringle, 1949. Effect of
environment on growth and feed and water
consumption of chickens. II. The effect of
temperature and humidity on environment
during the first eighteen days after hatch. J. Nutr.
37:153-161.
Barott H. G., and E. M. Pringle, 1950. Effect of
environment on growth and feed and water
consumption of chickens. III. The effect of
temperature of environment during the period 18
to 32 days of age. J. Nutr. 41:25—31.
Eley, C. P., and E. H. Hoffman, 1949. Feed particle
size as a factor in water consumption and elimination. Poultry Sci. 28:215-222.
Kare, M. R., and J. Biely, 1948. The toxicity of
sodium chloride and its relation to water intake
in baby chicks. Poultry Sci. 27:751-758.
Marks, H. L., 1980. Water and feed intake of selected
and nonselected broilers under ad libitum and
restricted feeding regimens. Growth 44:205 —
219.
Marks, H. L., 1981. Role of water in regulating feed
intake and feed efficiency of broilers. Poultry
Sci. 60:698-707.
Marks, H. L., and G. M. Pesti, 1984. The roles of
protein level and diet form in water consumption
and abdominal fat pad deposition of broilers.
Poultry Sci. 63:1617-1625.
Marks, H. L., and K. W. Washburn, 1983. The relationship of altered water/feed intake ratios on
growth and abdominal fat in commercial broilers.
Poultry Sci. 62:263-272.
Medway, W., and M. R. Kare, 1959. Water metabolism
of the growing domestic fowl with special reference to water balance. Poultry Sci. 38:631 —
637.
National Research Council, 1977. Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. 7th ed. Natl, Res. Coun., Natl.
Acad. Sci., Washington, DC.
Pesti, G. M., T. S. Whiting, and L. S. Jensen, 1983.
The effect of crumbling on the relationship
between dietary density and chick growth, feed
808
PESTI ET AL.
efficiency, and abdominal fat pad weights.
Poultry Sci. 62:490-494.
Reid, W. M , and M. Pitois, 1965. The influence of
coccidiosis on feed and water intake of chickens.
Avian Dis. 9 : 3 4 3 - 348.
SAS Institute, 1983. SAS User's Guide. 9th ed.
Raleigh, NC.
Slinger, S. J., and W. F. Pepper, 1955. Effect of water
intake on the growth response of poults and
chicks to penicillin. J. Nutr. 57:319-329.
Stahl, J. L., and M. L. Sunde, 1983. Water consumption the first week by egg strain chicks. Poultry
Sci. 62:561-562.
Wilson, W. O., 1948. Some effects of increasing
environmental temperatures on pullets. Poultry
Sci. 27:813-817.