Effects of Nipple and Trough Watering Systems on Broiler Performance

Abstract

WATER represents a major part of the nutrient intake of poultry. The vital role of water is indicated by the observation that the body can lose practically all of its fat and over one-half of its protein while the loss of one-tenth of its water results in serious physical disorders. (Maynard, 1951; and Kellerup et at., 1965).Feed wastage may be markedly influenced by the form of the feed and the type of waterer. Feed wastage of approximately ¼ gram per bird per day was recovered from the drinking water of birds fed finely ground feed, while a negligible amount was recovered when birds were fed pellets (Eley and Hoffman, 1949). The wastage of mash was reduced by the use of dew-drop waterers to approximately 1/10th to 1/20th of that obtained with trough and pan waterers, respectively (Weiss, 1960).The dew-drop waterer is similar to the more recently accepted nipple…