Effect of watering devices on performance during pullet-rearing and cage-laying phases of single comb White Leghorn hens.

An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of watering devices used during pullet-rearing and cage-laying phases on subsequent biological and production responses of hens with 960 pullets reared in floor pens for an 18-wk period. During the pullet phase, birds were placed in one of three watering regimens: start/grow trigger-cups (SGTC), bell drinkers (BD), or a combination treatment consisting of 9 wk on BD and 9 wk on SGTC (BD/SGTC). During the laying phase, birds were placed in laying units with four birds per cage. Cages were equipped with mature bird trigger-cups (TC), fount-cups (FC), vertically activated nipple drinkers (VAND), or cone-shaped cups (CC). Cage waterers had significant influences on average hen-day egg production (HD) and feed conversion of the hens. For HD production, there was no difference between hens on CC and TC or between CC and FC. Birds drinking from VAND had significantly lower HD production and poorer feed conversion than birds on the other waterer treatments. There were no significant differences in body weight for birds raised on the different drinking devices. Cumulative mortality during the cage-laying phase was nonsignificantly higher for birds drinking from VAND than for birds drinking from CC. There was no effect of waterer type on egg weight or Haugh units. Specific gravity was poorer for eggs produced by hens drinking from FC as compared with eggs from hens on CC or VAND. Kidney weights and kidney as a percentage of body weight were affected by the interaction of the pullet-rearing and cage-laying phase waterers.