Air velocity and high temperature effects on broiler performance.
Three trials, using a total of 1,320 male broilers, were conducted to study the effect of air velocity at 125 m/min on body weight gain and feed: gain. The broilers were placed on litter in pens in a wind tunnel or on litter in floor pens with conventional cross ventilation when 4 wk old. Except for air velocity, the conditions in the floor pens and the tunnel were the same. In Trials 1 and 2, only nipple waterers were used. In Trial 3, one-half of the pens on the floor and one-half of the pens in the tunnel were equipped with trough waterers; the remaining pens were equipped with nipple waterers. When compared with conventional ventilation, tunnel rearing improved body weight gain and feed:gain in all three trials. In Trial 3, waterer type did not significantly affect body weight gain or feed:gain in the tunnel. However, body weight gain and feed:gain were reduced in floor-reared birds using nipple waterers as compared with birds using trough waterers. The increased panting of the conventionally ventilated birds, as compared with the tunnel-ventilated birds, may have contributed to their decreased body weight gain and improved feed:gain. The lower body weights may occur because of the difficulty the birds experience when drinking from nipples while panting.
Lott
B D
BD
USDA, Agricultural Research Service, South Central Poultry Research Laboratory, Mississippi State 39762, USA. blott@ag.gov
Simmons
J D
JD
May
J D
JD
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D013696:Temperature; D014691:Ventilation; D015430:Weight Gain