Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications
Campus Units
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Animal Science
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
5-1-2002
Journal or Book Title
Poultry Science
Volume
81
Issue
5
First Page
608
Last Page
617
Research Focus Area(s)
Animal Production Systems Engineering
DOI
10.1093/ps/81.5.608
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of drinking water temperature (Tw) on laying hens subjected to warm cyclic air temperature (Ta) conditions. Each experiment consisted of a 1-wk acclimation under thermoneutrality (TN) (Ta = Tw = 21 C), a 4-wk heat exposure or treatment period, and a 2-wk recovery under TN. Each experiment involved 24 individually caged hens at the initial age of 29 wk (Experiment 1) or 30 wk (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, Tw of 18 or 27 C was provided to 12 birds per Tw regimen under a diurnal Ta of 27 to 35 C (daily mean of 31 C). In Experiment 2, Tw of 15, 19, 23, or 27 C was provided to six birds per Tw regimen under a diurnal Ta of 27 to 38 C (daily mean of 32.5 C). Experiment 1 showed that Tw of 18 C enhanced hourly and daily feed and water intake during the first 2 wk of heat exposure, as compared with Tw of 27 C. Experiment 2 showed that daily feed and water intake were greatest for hens in the 23 C Tw regimen and least for hens in the coolest or warmest Tw regimens. Reduction in daily feed intake with increase in daily mean Ta ranged from 2.0 to approximately 3.2 g/C-day (first week of heat exposure) to 1.1 to approximately 1.9 g/C-day (fourth week of heat exposure). Water to feed intake ratio was 1.8 to approximately 2.0 during acclimation and recovery, but increased to 3.0 to approximately 3.4 during heat exposure. Internal egg quality parameters were in general unaffected by Tw. The two warmer Tw regimens in Experiment 2 had less reduction in egg size than did the two cooler Tw. In both experiments, hens displayed anticipatory increase in feed and water intake 2 to 3 h prior to lights-off. However, the stimulus of lights-on did not elicit a strong return to feed and water consumption as typically seen in broilers. The results revealed the potential existence of an optimal Tw range (near 23 C) for heat-challenged laying hens. Larger-scale tests are warranted to further verify the findings.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Copyright Owner
Poultry Science Association, Inc.
Copyright Date
2002
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Xin, Hongwei; Gates, Richard; Puma, M. C.; and Ahn, Dong U., "Drinking water temperature effects on laying hens subjected to warm cyclic environments" (2002). Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications. 1179.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/abe_eng_pubs/1179
Included in
Agriculture Commons, Animal Experimentation and Research Commons, Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons, Poultry or Avian Science Commons
Comments
This article is published as Xin, H., R. S. Gates, M. C. Puma, and D. U. Ahn. "Drinking water temperature effects on laying hens subjected to warm cyclic environments." Poultry Science 81, no. 5 (2002): 608-617. doi: 10.1093/ps/81.5.608.