EFFECT OF AGE AND SEX OF EGG STRAIN CHICKENS AND OF 2 STOCKING DENSITIES OF BROILERS ON VOLUNTARY WATER-INTAKE AND PERFORMANCE IN A SUBHUMID ENVIRONMENT

Voluntary water intake and performance of egg-strain chickens of diffe rent age groups and sex were compared. Cockerels grew faster and consu med 41% more feed and 43% more water than pullets of the same strain a nd age. Cockerels of nineteen weeks consumed significantly more feed ( P < 0.05) than layers of 30 weeks of the same strain, but there was no significant difference in their daily voluntary water intake. The phy siological activities associated with egg laying in chickens, apparent ly require more water to feed ratio than for the active growth of cock erels. In a second experiment, the effect of 2 stocking densities on v oluntary water intake and performance were compared. Birds on higher s tocking density (0.09 m(2)/bird) performed similarly to those on low s tocking density (0.18 m(2)/bird), but the higher stocking density bird s recorded slightly higher mortality. Voluntary water consumption was not significantly affected (P > 0.05), although birds on higher stocki ng density recorded slightly higher average daily voluntary water cons umption. The higher stocking density birds recorded slightly higher pe r cent mortality during the 8 week period, but higher per cent mortali ty was recorded with the low stocking density birds during the 0 to 4 week brooding period.