Drinking Water Temperature and Potassium Chloride Supplementation Effects on Broiler Body Temperature and Performance During Heat Stress

Abstract

Four experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of drinking water temperature and KCl supplementation on broiler performance during cycling temperature heat stress. Drenching birds with 12.8°C water reduced body temperature at a6 min post-drenching for 37°C (43 vs. 43.5), but not 24°C (43.5 vs. 43.5) exposed birds. Feed consumption and body weight gain improved as drinking water temperature declined from 43.3 to 10°C. Potassium chloride supplementation increased feed consumption and weight gain of birds offered cold water (P < .05). However, KCl supplementation of warm drinking water had no beneficial effect on feed consumption or weight gain. Body temperature rise during heat stress exposure was less (P < .05) for 10 vs. 43.3°C drinking water temperature and drinking water heat sink potential was positively correlated (P < .09) with gain, feed consumption, and gain/feed ratio.