HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Degen, A. A. Articles by Kam, M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Degen, A. A. Articles by Kam, M.

Roosters Prefer Cool Drinking Water in Both Summer and Winter

Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105 Israel; Phone/FAX: (972) 7-6460515

Correspondence: A. Allan Degen, E-mail:degen{at}bgumail.bgu.ac.il

There is evidence that drinking cool water at high temperatures and warm water at low air temperatures may alleviate thermoregulatory stress and improve performance in chickens. We predicted, therefore, that when given a choice, roosters would choose cool over warm water in summer and warm over cool water in winter. We offered broiler breeder roosters tap water at 25°C and cool water at 8°C in summer and tap water at 12°C and warm water at 30°C in winter. Water was offered at 08:00 hr and 14:00 hr, each time for 45 min. There was no difference in water temperature preference during the first 2 days and the morning of the 3rd day in either season. Selection of a water temperature was made in the afternoon of the 3rd day, when cool water comprised 93% of the intake in summer and 86% in winter. Thereafter, on a daily basis, cool water intake ranged between 71 and 89% in summer and between 85 and 95% in winter. There was no difference in the proportion of cool vs. warm water intake between morning and afternoon. In summer, the total volume of water drunk in the morning did not differ from that in the afternoon, but in winter the roosters drank more in the afternoon than in the morning.

Key Words: Drinking water temperature • thermoregulatory stress • water intake