Performance, haematology and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens given water from different sources

Résumé

n eight week study was conducted to assess the performance, carcass characteristics and haematological indices of broiler chickens provided water from different sources. One hundred and fifty day - old broiler chicks (Arbor acre) were randomly allocated to five treatment groups (rain, stream, pipe borne water, well and borehole water respectively) in a completely randomized experimental design. The borehole water was obtained from a residential building, about 500 m to the experimental site (Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure, Nigeria). Rainwater was harvested when it rained and was stored in plastic containers before it was used. It was not stored for more than three days before use. Stream water was obtained from a stream that flowed close to the students' residential area of FECA. It is sometimes drunk and is typical of streams that flow in a typical village community. Well water was obtained from a well sunk within the premises of the FECA. It was a well from where people fetched water for domestic use and was provided to the birds without prior treatment. Pipe borne water was obtained from the Water Corporation Mains that supplies FECA and Ijapo Estate, Akure. Results from the experiment revealed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences among the treatments in terms of water intake, feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass characteristics, relative weight of some organs, muscle dimensions and haematological parameters. Pipe borne water had the highest numerical values (P>0.05) for most of the performance and carcass characteristic indices measured, such as daily water intake (181.53±14.6), cumulative water intake (8.90±.71), daily feed intake (106.27±4.15), cumulative feed intake (5.21±0.20), daily weight gain (38.53±2.38), total weight gain (1.89±0.12), final weight gain (1.98±0.12), percent dressed weight (97.11±0.16%), percent eviscerated weight (81.86±3.26%), relative weights of drumstick (99.37±5.43g/kg), wings (89.10±9.69g/kg), chest (170.08±6.59g/kg) and back (159.40±18.90g/kg live weight) respectively. Water from different sources (rain, well, pipe borne water, borehole and stream) had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the performance indices, considered in the study for broiler chickens. This implies that the aforementioned water sources can be used to raise broiler chickens provided such water is free from any contaminants that could impair the health of the birds.