Water

Many factors influence water intake including environmental temperature, relative humidity, composition of the diet, birds' productivity (rate of growth or egg production) and the individual birds' availability to reabsorb water in the kidney. As a result precise, water requirements cannot be determined. However, water is of vital importance and is considered as an essential nutrient. Water deprivation for > 12 hr has an adverse effect on growth of young poultry and egg production of layer, water deprivation for >36 hrs results in a marked increase in mortality of both young and mature poultry. Cool, clean water must be available at all times.