Effect of wet feeding on growth performance of broiler chickens in a hot climate

Abstract

1. The Guinea Savanna in the tropics is characterised by high diurnal temperatures, often beyond the thermo-neutral zone of modern poultry, which imposes heat stress on them. 2. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of partially (12 h wet mash in the day and 12 h dry mash in the night) or wholly (24 h) feeding wet mash on the growth performance of broiler chickens. 3. Three treatments: dry mash (control), wet mash (day) + dry mash (night) and wet mash (day + night) were tested. At 28 d of age, a total of 120 broiler chickens (Hybro, Netherlands) were randomly divided, using a completely randomised design, into 12 groups of 10 birds, each with mean live weight of approximately 800 g/bird. A maize-soybean based grower mash (200 g CP/kg and 12·5 MJ/kg ME) was fed. The wet mash was prepared daily by addition of 1·3 parts of water to 1 part of dry mash and fed from 28 to 56 d of age. The birds were housed in raised-floor pens. Feed and water were given ad libitum and light provided 24 h. Mean daily room temperature was 28-29°C in the morning and 35-41°C in the afternoon. 4. Mean feed intake of birds fed the wet mash (174 g/day) or wet + dry mash (166 g/day) was higher than that of birds fed the dry mash (152 g/day). Mean live weight gain of birds fed the wet mash (64 g/day) or wet + dry mash (64 g/day) was higher than that of birds fed the dry mash (58 g/day). There were no differences in gain/feed ratios (0·38-0·39) of any of the treatments, neither were there any differences between the feeding of wet mash partly or wholly for all variables. 5. It was concluded that wet feeding, particularly during day-time, had the potential to improve growth performance of broiler chickens in a hot climate.

Using Wet Feed in Feeding Japanese Quail Under Summer Conditions

“…Also, it may be due to allow more fast penetration of digestive juices by these changes in physical parameters of the feed form (Frikha, et al, 2009). The results of this experiment were supported by Yalda and Forbes, (1995), Ogbonna et al, (2001), Awojobi and Meshioye (2001), Awojobi et al, (2009 and2011) and Dei and Bumbie, (2011) who reported that wet feed was more beneficial and improved growth rate than mash or dry feed. Akinola et al, (2015) found a significant higher BWG for chickens fed wet feed.…”

Effects of supplementation of betaine hydrochloride on physiological performances of broilers exposed to thermal stress

“…[4][5][6] The thermoneutral zone for poultry is 18°C-24°C in the tropics 112 singh et al and 12°C-26°C in the temperate zones, but this often gets exceeded in the tropics, resulting in heat stress. 7,8 By elevating circulatory corticosteroids and decreasing thyroid activity, heat stress impairs broiler performance, especially in adult birds, because the ability to dissipate heat decreases with age. 9,10 Drastic decline in feed intake occurs in heat-stressed birds as a physiological response to minimize intrinsic heat production and to maintain the thermal homeostasis, thus bringing down feed efficiency, live weight gain, and survival rates.…”

No Damage of Dietary Dried Fermented Ginger Diet without Antibiotics on Growth Performance in Broilers Reared in Tropical Area

“…To optimize body weight gain and feed utilization for broilers, the environmental temperature should be near 21°C (Cooper and Washburn, 1998). In fact, it was found that there was a significant correlation with growth rate and the diurnal fluctuation in cloacal temperature (Cooper and Washburn, 1998) and that the growth rate and feed consumption of birds raised in higher environmental temperatures were depressed (Dei and Bumbie, 2011). Additionally, the present ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is known for its strong flavor and to have pyrogenicity (Eldershaw et al, 1992;Fujisawa et al, 2005).…”