With water making up 80% of blood and being vital for the regulation of body temperature and organ function, including the absorption of nutrients, digestion and waste removal, it is obvious that good quality water is a premium requirement for proper livestock husbandry.
When designing a poultry watering system knowledge of daily watering requirements and the governing factors which influence individual birds’ consumption is therefore particularly important.
The main influences concerning daily water consumption are the growth stage of the bird, type of bird i.e. egg layer, broiler or pullet and environmental and management factors. These factors include ambient temperature and humidity, water quality and temperature and moisture content of feed amongst others. The feed needs of growing poultry are directly related to the weight of the bird. It, therefore, follows that its individual water requirements are related to feed consumption in addition to the criteria mentioned above. It is estimated that more than half of the water intake of poultry can be obtained from feed.
Chickens can’t sweat so in order to control their body temperature they have to pant, with the resultant loss of large amounts of moisture which must be replaced in order to avoid dehydration. In the summer inside large chicken sheds it is frequently possible for temperatures to exceed 30°C which can increase an individual bird’s water consumption considerably. Remember that during the summer water consumption will increase by at least 1 ½ times that of the rest of the year.
It is a legal requirement that poultry sheds have a 24-hour water supply and automatic watering equipment will ensure poultry have unlimited access to water at all times.
Enduratank supply tanks are suitable for bulk storage of water; for example, the 20,000-litre WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) approved potable water tank. Where connection to the mains water supply or a borehole is utilised our Category 5 Break Tanks meet the specified standard and are available in sizes up to 30,000 litres. Water can be stored efficiently and pumped automatically to where it is required. Our tanks are rotationally moulded using mid-density polyethylene providing a robust, cost-effective solution to water management and are easy and quick to install.
The below tables are a guide only.
