Reilly W M, Koelkebeck K W, Harrison P C
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
Poult Sci. 1991 Aug;70(8):1699-703. doi: 10.3382/ps.0701699.
A study was conducted to determine whether water-cooled floor perches would be utilized by commercial broilers exposed to a constant hot ambient environment; and subsequently, whether utilization of these perches would improve performance beyond those provided uncooled floor perches. A total of 330 day-old commercial broiler chicks were randomly allocated to six pens (2.44 m2) in an environmentally controlled facility and maintained in a thermoneutral brooding environment for 16 days. Following this period, 240 birds were selected on a body weight basis and randomly assigned to the six pens. A perch constructed from steel pipe (2.44 m length, 5.0 cm diameter) was then placed diagonally on the litter covered floor of each pen. The birds were first exposed to a thermoneutral period (27.7 C), during which time cooling of the perches in three replicate pens was initiated by circulating tap water. The other three experimental pens received ambient perches. Ambient temperature was then raised to 32.6 C for the following 4 wk. The results of the present study showed that utilization of water-cooled perches by broilers was greater (P less than or equal to .01) than ambient perch utilization throughout the 32.6 C period. Average daily gain was greatest (P less than or equal to .01) for broilers exposed to cool perches. Additionally, they consume more feed (P less than or equal to .05), on a daily basis, than those given ambient perches during the heat-stress period. Broilers exposed to water-cooled perches also had a more efficient gain to feed ratio (P less than or equal to .01). At the completion of the study, final body weight and total body weight gain were greater (P less than or equal to .05) for broilers given water-cooled perches compared with those exposed to ambient perches. Total amount of feed consumed and total feed efficiency were only moderately affected (P less than or equal to .10) by perch treatments. These results indicated that water-cooled perches were beneficial in improving broiler performance during periods of high environmental temperatures.
进行了一项研究，以确定暴露于持续炎热环境中的商品肉鸡是否会使用水冷地板栖木；随后，使用这些栖木是否会比使用未冷却的地板栖木更能提高生产性能。总共330只1日龄的商品肉鸡雏鸡被随机分配到环境控制设施中的六个围栏（2.44平方米）中，并在热中性育雏环境中饲养16天。在此期间之后，根据体重选择240只鸡，并随机分配到六个围栏中。然后将一根由钢管制成（长2.44米，直径5.0厘米）的栖木对角放置在每个围栏铺满垫料的地板上。鸡首先暴露于热中性期（27.7摄氏度），在此期间，通过循环自来水对三个重复围栏中的栖木进行冷却。另外三个实验围栏使用环境温度下的栖木。然后在接下来的4周内将环境温度提高到32.6摄氏度。本研究结果表明，在整个32.6摄氏度期间，肉鸡对水冷栖木的利用率高于（P≤0.01）对环境温度下栖木的利用率。暴露于凉爽栖木的肉鸡平均日增重最高（P≤0.01）。此外，在热应激期间，它们每天消耗的饲料比使用环境温度下栖木的肉鸡更多（P≤0.05）。暴露于水冷栖木的肉鸡的增重饲料比也更高（P≤0.01）。在研究结束时，与使用环境温度下栖木的肉鸡相比，使用水冷栖木的肉鸡的最终体重和总体重增加更大（P≤0.05）。栖木处理对饲料消耗总量和总饲料效率仅产生中等程度的影响（P≤0.10）。这些结果表明，水冷栖木有利于在环境温度较高期间提高肉鸡的生产性能。
