Water and feed consumption in poultry are very strongly linked. In its short lifetime, a broiler will drink approximately 2 litres of water for every kilogram of feed it consumes. This ratio is so strong that feed consumption can be closely anticipated in modern tunnel houses based solely on how much water is consumed in a certain period – water is much easier to monitor with current water meters. In reverse, if a chicken doesn’t have access to cool, clean drinking water, it will not eat. Water quality is one of the most commonly overlooked components of poultry farming.
Water Consumption: Water is as essential to chicken growth and survivability as is feed – a 10% loss in body water can result in severe physical disorders and even mortality. When chicks run out of water, they can get dehydrated, and even if their water loss doesn’t reach that critical 10% threshold, they will still all rush the water supply when water returns. Chicks still in the brooding stage that get wet in that rush will be exposed to wind chill, which forces them to huddle together to warm up, and during that time, they are not eating. Additionally, thirsty chicks will drink more water than they would typically, leaving less room for feed. Both scenarios result in lower growth because of lower feed consumption. When larger chickens get very hot, they can also consume larger volumes of water than expected – following the consumption chart will help to diagnose extra drinking during hot periods. Ventilating fans should be used to cool the pen down. On average, a broiler will drink a little over 2 gallons in its short 6-week lifespan, representing a ratio of twice as much water weight as feed weight.
Feed Conversion: Feed conversion is a function of the quality of feed, the quality of brooding, and the general health of the chicken. It is widely accepted that if chicks are given optimal warmth and easily accessible feed and water in the first 96 hours of their life, they will have a good head start to grow at a profitable rate for the farmer. Waiting more than 96 hours to provide the warmth and total feed/water they need will IRREVERSIBLY affect the growth of the chickens. Some will grow little at all, and there will be vast differences in size throughout the whole number of chickens in the flock. So, suppose the farmer properly controls all conditions. In that case, they can expect an average feed conversion ratio of 2:1 or two units of feed, creating 1 unit of live weight on the market-size chicken. The Pinnacle feeds chart shows that 4.25 kg of feed will result in a 2.10 kg bird if everything goes well. Which is more or less 2:1. Of course, if birds are challenged by poor conditions, disease or irregular feed supply (which causes the metabolism to stop and start, resulting in reduced feed conversion), then they can have a much higher conversion number, or much more feed required to reach the correct weight. Similarly, chickens grown in more ideal environments, such as tunnel-ventilated houses, can sometimes achieve 1.5 to 1 feed conversion, or 1.5 kg of feed converting to 1 kg of live weight, in exceptional cases.
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