CONTENT
Water Management in Poultry: Functions, Importance and Water Intake
Water is one of the most essential nutrients for poultry and plays a vital role in maintaining physiological functions, health, growth, and productivity. Despite being the least expensive nutrient, inadequate water availability or poor water management can have serious consequences for poultry performance. Water is involved in digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination, thermoregulation, and several metabolic processes. Proper water management is therefore essential for maintaining the health and productivity of poultry flocks.
Water is a critical nutrient that receives little attention until a problem arises. In other words, it is the cheapest nutrient for poultry, with very expensive implications if not managed properly.
Apart from its nutritive role, water is also used to reduce air temperature through evaporative cooling and fogging during the summer and to clean and sanitize the facility.
Functions of Water
From a physiological perspective, water consumed by the bird is used for:
- Passage of feed through the digestive system
- Digestion and absorption of nutrients
- Transportation of absorbed nutrients to different organs
- Facilitation of enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body
- Elimination of waste and toxic substances through the kidneys
- Regulation of body temperature
- Lubrication of joints and organs
Importance of Water for Poultry
- Birds can survive for weeks without feed, but they can survive for only a few days without water.
- Starved birds may lose all their fat, about half of their protein, and about 40% of their body weight and still survive, but a 10% to 20% loss of their body water will result in death.
Water Intake
The majority of a bird’s water intake is obtained by drinking, although a small quantity of water is obtained from feed and through body metabolism.
