Effect of age and sex of egg strain chickens and of two stocking densities of broilers on voluntary water intake and performance in a sub-humid environment.
Voluntary water intake and performance of egg-strain chickens of different age groups and sex were compared. Cockerels grew faster and consumed 41% more feed and 43% more water than pullets of the same strain and age. Cockerels of nineteen weeks consumed significantly more feed (P < 0.05) than layers of 30 weeks of the same strain, but there was no significant difference in their daily voluntary water intake. The physiological activities associated with egg laying in chickens, apparently require more water to feed ratio than for the active growth of cockerels. In a second experiment, the effect of 2 stocking densities on voluntary water intake and performance were compared. Birds on higher stocking density (0.09 m2/bird) performed similarly to those on low stocking density (0.18 m2/bird), but the higher stocking density birds recorded slightly higher mortality. Voluntary water consumption was not significantly affected (P > 0.05), although birds on higher stocking density recorded slightly higher average daily voluntary water consumption. The higher stocking density birds recorded slightly higher per cent mortality during the 8 week period, but higher per cent mortality was recorded with the low stocking density birds during the 0 to 4 week brooding period.