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Measuring thirst in broiler chickens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

M Sprenger ,
C vangestel  and
FAM Tuyttens
M Sprenger
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences, Animal Husbandry & Welfare, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium
C vangestel
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, University of Ghent, KL Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
FAM Tuyttens*
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences, Animal Husbandry & Welfare, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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Abstract

Freedom from thirst has been long considered of paramount importance for animal welfare, however a feasible and sensitive animal-based indicator to assess thirst, on-farm or at-slaughter, is not available. In this study, voluntary water consumption over time was investigated and validated as a non-invasive behavioural parameter for assessing thirst in broiler chickens. Thirty-two groups of four broilers were used in this study and the effect of three factors on water consumption from a test drinker was investigated: duration of water deprivation (0, 6, 12, or 24 h); familiarity with the test drinker, and age (35 or 37 days). Water consumption was measured after 30, 60, 90 and 120 min following the deprivation period. Water consumption increased with the length of the deprivation period and was greater in birds that had been habituated to the test drinker. The effect of familiarity was smaller for 24-h deprived groups compared to 6- and 12-h deprived groups. When birds were habituated to the drinker, they started to drink sooner than when the drinker was new. These findings illustrate the potential of simple, animal-based measures, such as water consumption over time to assess thirst in chickens and this behavioural test may form the basis of an on-farm test that could be included in integrated animal welfare assessment schemes.

Keywords

animal welfarebroilersdehydrationthirstwater consumptionwelfare assessment
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 18 , Issue 4: Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level , November 2009 , pp. 553 - 560
Copyright
© 2009 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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