Production aspects of broiler breeders submitted to different drinker types

• Autor(a) principal: Colvero,LP
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Carrijo,AS, Garófallo,RG, Bernardi,R, Steffen,RPB, Stefanello,C
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-635X2014000100009
• topic: Intake; gravity; nipple drinkers; bell drinker; egg production

The objective of this study was of evaluate the influence of different drinker types on the egg production, water intake, mortality, poultry litter relative humidity, egg weight, eggshell percentage, and egg specific gravity of broiler breeders. The experiment was carried out in a commercial farm with 37- to 44-wk-old broiler breeders. A randomized block experimental design, consisting of two treatments (bell or nipple drinkers) with four replicates of 4.000 females each, was applied. Data were submitted to analysis of variance, and means were compared by the test of Student-Newman-Keuls at 5% significance level. Birds submitted to nipple drinkers presented lower water intake (p<0.05). There was no influence (p&gt;0.05) of drinker type on egg production or mortality. Poultry litter relative humidity was lower (p<0.05) under the nipple-drinker system. Birds drinking from bell drinkers produced heavier eggs (p<0.05) between weeks 39 and 40. Hens drinking from bell drinkers laid eggs with higher specific gravity and eggshell percentage. It was concluded that nipple drinkers can be used for broiler breeders during lay.