EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FLOOR TYPES AND LEVELS OF WASHING OF WATERERS ONBROILER PERFORMANCE AND BACTERIA COUNT OF DRINKING-WATER

The objective of the present experiment was to determine the effect of different flooring materials and washing of waterers on broiler perfo rmance. The floor treatments were 1) black, plastic-coated expanded me tal, relatively rigid (B); 2) white plastic, semi-rigid, with rectangu lar openings (WR); 3) white plastic, semi-rigid, with square openings (WS); and 4) 3 cm of rice hull litter (C). One hanging waterer was pla ced in each pen. Wash treatments were 1) trough and bell washed every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (AW); 2) wash trough only on Monday, Wed nesday, and Friday (TW); and 3) the waterers were never washed after t he 2nd wk (NW). Broilers reared on C has significantly lower BW than t hose broilers on B floors. Broilers reared on the B and WS floors had significantly higher breast blister scores and percentage of birds wit h blisters than broilers reared on C floors. Broilers reared on C had lower enlarged feather follicle scores than those reared on all raised floors and a lower percentage of enlarged feather follicles than thos e broilers reared on WS or WR floors. Broilers reared on WS+TW had sig nificantly better feed conversion than WS+AW, B+TW, and B+AW treatment s. Broilers reared on WR+TW treatment were significantly higher in bre ast blister score than broilers reared on WR+AW, C+TW, and C+AW treatm ents. Broilers reared on C+TW and C+AW treatments were significantly l ower in breast blister score except for broilers reared on C+NW, WR+AW , and WS+AW treatments. Broilers reared on C+NW treatment were signifi cantly lower in enlarged feather follicle score than those broilers re ared on B+TW, WR+AW, and WS+NW treatments. Broilers reared on C+TW and C+AW were significantly lower in enlarged feather follicle score than all treatments except C+NW treatment. Broilers reared on WR+TW and WS +AW treatments were significantly higher in percentage enlarged feathe r follicles than all C treatments and B+NW treatment. Broilers reared on C+TW and C+AW treatments had significantly lower percentage enlarge d feather follicles than all treatments except C+NW and B+NW treatment s. Little difference was found among floor types and wash treatments f or bacteria count of the drinking water.