Electrolyte and vitamin supplementation in drinking water is a common practice by poultry producers during hot summer months. However, this supplementation continues to be important during the cold winter months as well.
There are many reasons to provide electrolyte/vitamin/probiotic supplementation during the colder weather of November through March. Maximum bird performance requires a high level of feed intake. And since feed intake and water consumption are directly related – when birds drink more water, they eat more feed and production is maximized.
Key factors that exist that enable in-VIGOR-ate®
to provide economic benefit:
Starting chicks and poults
o The first week in the brooder is critical for bird growth and livability whether in summer or winter.
o in-VIGOR-ate®
administration via the drinking water will stimulate water and feed intake during the first week post-placement to support better performance.
o in-VIGOR-ate®
will supply the gut with beneficial probiotics to support optimum gut microflora balance.
Water pH
o Poultry prefer water with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. When pH is above 8, water intake declines.
o Acidification of the water with in-VIGOR-ate®
will reduce the pH to an acceptable level to stimulate water intake.
Water taste
o Mineral content of some water sources may influence taste resulting in lower water consumption.
o Addition of in-VIGOR-ate®
will influence the flavor of the water to enhance its consumption.
Dry feed
o If left to their own choosing “in nature,” a bird will consume “food” that has a significant water content.
o Poultry feeds typically have a moisture level of 8 to 12%. Therefore, the bird needs to drink frequently in order to moisten the feed in the crop and gut to realize optimum rate of reed passage and digestion.
o We observe that once the bird eats, it goes to get a drink. So, stimulating the amount it drinks with in-VIGOR-ate®
will increase feed intake.
Reducing house humidity
o House heating combined with generally 8 to 10 percentage points lower winter atmospheric humidity levels results in lower in-house humidity.
o Birds need to drink more water to overcome the lower humidity that can lead to dehydration.
o The electrolytes of in-VIGOR-ate®
will maintain birds in a proper hydration state.
Therefore, stimulating water intake during the winter months is as critical as it is in the summer. Birds need to consume about 2.5 times more water than feed to maximize production. Administration of in-VIGOR-ate®
will help achieve that objective.