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Water consumption by broilers in high cyclic temperatures: bell versus nipple waterers
Water Consumption by Broilers in High Cyclic Temperatures: Bell Versus Nipple Waterers1 J. D. MAY,2 B. D. LOTT, and J. D. SIMMONS USDA, Agricultural Research Service, South Central Poultry Research Laboratory, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 ealed that consumption from nipples was often similar to that from bell waterers during the lowest temperatures but was less during the periods of highest temperatures. Further study revealed that water consumption from nipple waterers was related to the height of the nipples such that consumption was greater for lower nipples. The results suggest that panting broilers have difficulty drinking from high nipple waterers.
(Key words: nipple waterers, bell waterers, temperature, water consumption) 1997 Poultry Science 76:944–947
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nipple waterers have become the standard watering system for broilers. Innovations to filter the water and develop effective low-pressure nipples have enabled the rapid shift from open waterers to nipples. The change has improved sanitation by providing cleaner drinking water and reducing spillage around waterers. The nipple waterers also require less labor for cleaning. A few papers have noted limitations with nipple waterers. Carpenter et al. (1992) compared low and high flow rate nipples and found that broilers on high flow rate nipples were heavier at 42 d than those on low flow rate nipples. Wabeck et al. (1994) found that bell waterers gave significantly greater live weights in the spring, summer, and fall. During studies on water consumption, we decided to change from bell to nipple waterers to minimize losses that might result from wastage or evaporation. Our early studies at high cyclic temperatures gave different patterns of daily consumption with nipple waterers as compared with open waterers. Further studies were conducted to determine the cause of the different patterns. This report shows that the height of nipple waterers contributes to different consumption patterns when broilers are exposed to high cyclic temperatures.
Male Ross × Ross chicks were obtained from a commercial hatchery and reared on litter. Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption and lighting was continuous. The corn:soybean meal diets were formulated to meet or exceed National Research Council (1994) requirements. Environmental chambers described by Reece and Deaton (1969) were used to maintain the environmental conditions during the treatment periods of the three trials. The chambers were arranged with two 1.14 × 1.87 m pens per chamber. Each pen had a tube feeder with a pan 35 cm in diameter. Water consumption data were obtained as described by Lott et al. (1992). The water supply container for each pen was suspended from a load cell, and weights were recorded each 30 min. The values for bell waterers were corrected for evaporation. The consumption values are reported as a percentage of body weight. The body weights for each 30-min period were calculated from actual pen weights determined weekly in Trial 1 and at the beginning and end of Trials 2 and 3. Reece and Lott (1983) have shown that body weight increase is linear for these periods.
Trial 1
Received for publication September 9, 1996. Accepted for publication March 3, 1997. 1Trade names in this article are used solely to provide specific information. Use of trade names does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by USDA and does not signify that the product is approved to the exclusion of other comparable products. 2To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Broiler chicks were placed in a controlled-environment house when they were received from the hatchery. The temperature was initially at 29 C and reduced 3 C/wk until 24 C was reached. Some broilers were moved from the rearing house and placed in five environmental chambers when they were 16 d old. Each pen was stocked with 25 broilers. One pen per chamber had a bell waterer 944
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
ABSTRACT Broilers were maintained on litter in environmental chambers to study water consumption from bell and nipple waterers. The chambers were set at high cyclic temperatures of either 24-35-24 C or 24-32-24 C daily cycles in three trials. Water consumption was recorded by computer each 30 min and calculated as a percentage of body weight. Daily water consumption from nipples was always less than from bell waterers. Water consumption by quarter-day rev-
WATERER TYPE AND CONSUMPTION AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
945
33 cm in diameter and the other pen had seven nipple waterers 20 cm apart along the side of the pen. The environmental chambers were set for a 24-35-24 C daily cycle with 21 C dewpoint. The trial ended at 37 d.
Trial 2 Broilers not used in Trial 1 were moved to the five environmental chambers at 37 d and stocked 16 per pen. The environmental conditions were identical to Trial 1 and the trial ended at 49 d.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
FIGURE 1. Water consumption for bell and nipple waterers as percentage of body weight. Values are for 30-min periods but have been multiplied by 48 for comparison to daily consumption values. Broilers were placed in environmental chambers under daily cyclic temperatures of 24-35-24 C when they were 16 d old. Results shown are for A) 21 d, B) 28 d, and C) 35 d.
FIGURE 2. Water consumption for bell and nipple waterers as percentage of body weight. Values are for 30-min periods but have been multiplied by 48 for comparison to daily consumption values. Broilers were placed in environmental chambers under daily cyclic temperatures of 24-35-24 C when they were 37 d old. Results shown are for A) 42 d and B) 49 d.
946
MAY ET AL. TABLE 1. Effect of waterer type and high cyclic temperatures1 on water consumption by broilers
Age (d) 21 28 35 42 49
Quarterly consumption
Waterer type
Daily consumption2
1
2
3
4
Bell Nipple Bell Nipple Bell Nipple Bell Nipple Bell Nipple
27.2a 24.8b 26.0a 21.2b 22.5a 17.1b 23.0a 14.2b 19.0a 13.5b
23.6c 23.3c 25.8bc 20.1de 22.1bc 17.5d 21.8bc 17.5c 17.2b 15.4bc
32.4a 25.7bc 31.1a 21.3de 28.4a 14.3d 30.6a 12.3c 24.6a 9.4e
27.8b 24.7c 28.3ab 23.5cd 24.5b 20.9c 26.1ab 12.7c 23.1a 16.0b
25.0bc 25.5bc 18.9e 20.1de 15.1d 15.7d 13.4c 14.3c 11.0de 13.3cd
Trial 3 Male Ross × Ross broilers from another experiment were randomly stocked 15 per pen in four environmental chambers. The broilers were 43 d old and the trial ended when they were 56 d old. The temperature was cycled 24-32-24 C daily with a constant 21 C dewpoint. One pen per chamber had a bell waterer 33 cm in diameter and the other pen had five nipple waterers 23 cm apart along the side of the pen. In two chambers, the nipple waterers were set at the suggested height for rearing, which required the broilers to extend their necks upward to reach the nipples. Nipples in the other two pens were lower, with the nipples at approximately the height of the back of the broilers.
pected reduction in consumption from nipples during the highest temperature was inconsistent with results with bell waterers and the dogma that chickens need water for latent heat loss during periods of high temperature. Daily water consumption for broilers 42 and 49 d old are presented in Figure 2. For these older broilers, the patterns are even more exaggerated than at 35 d. Water consumption for each day and quarter of the day for Trials 1 and 2 are presented in Table 1. The data were
Statistical Analysis The data for each trial and age were analyzed by PCSAS Release 6.02.3 A one-way analysis of variance was used and Duncan’s (1955) multiple range test was used to identify significant differences among treatment means.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Daily water consumption patterns for broilers 21, 28, and 35 d old are presented in Figure 1. At each age, the consumption for bell waterers increased with increasing temperature and declined when the temperature declined. This result is consistent with previous research (May and Lott, 1992). Water consumption from nipples was relatively constant throughout the day at 21 and 28 d of age. At 35 d, water consumption from nipples peaked when the temperature was changing but was lowest when the temperature was highest. This unex-
3SAS
Institute, Cary, NC 25711.
FIGURE 3. Water consumption for bell and nipple waterers as a percentage of body weight. Values are for 30-min periods but have been multiplied by 48 for comparison to daily consumption values. Broilers were placed in environmental chambers under daily cyclic temperatures of 24-32-24 C when they were 43 d old. Nipple waterers were at recommended height (Nip-High) and lower height (Nip-Low). Results shown were the average consumption for 3 d (54 to 56 d of age).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
a–eMeans within an age and within daily consumption or quarterly consumption with no common subscript differ significantly (P < 0.05). 1The environmental temperature changed each quarter as follows: 1. Temperature increased from 23.9 C to 29.4 C; 2. Temperature increased from 29.4 C to 35 C; 3. Temperature decreased from 35 C to 29.4 C; 4. Temperature decreased from 29.4 C to 23.9 C. 2Consumption is given as percentage of body weight per day. Quarterly consumption is presented as the consumption per quarter times four.
947
WATERER TYPE AND CONSUMPTION AT HIGH TEMPERATURES TABLE 2. Effect of nipple height and high cyclic temperatures1 on water consumption of broilers Quarterly consumption
Waterer
Daily consumption2
1
2
3
4
Bell Nipple-high3 Nipple-low4
16.9a 11.2c 14.7b
17.6abc 13.1e 17.2abcd
20.5a 8.0f 12.7e
18.1ab 10.0f 15.1bcde
11.5ef 13.7de 13.8cde
a–fMeans within daily consumption or quarterly consumption with no common superscript differ significantly (P < 0.05). 1The environmental temperature changed each quarter as follows: 1. Temperature increased from 23.9 to 28.1; 2. Temperature increased from 28.1 to 32.2 C; 3. Temperature decreased from 32.2 to 28.1 C; 4. Temperature decreased from 28.1 to 23.9 C. 2Consumption is given as percentage of body weight per day. Quarterly consumption is presented as the consumption per quarter times four. 3High nipples were at a height that required the broilers to extend their necks to reach the nipple. 4Low nipples were at approximately the height of the back of the broilers.
the water run down the esophagus. The raising of the head must be coordinated with breathing, which is a reflex action. Obtaining water from a higher point is not as typical a behavior as drinking from a pool and seems to create a problem when the birds are panting. The chicken has difficulty coordinating breathing and passage of water down the esophagus. It appears the chicken cannot coordinate the intake of water with breathing if it is not associated with the reflex action of raising the head. Another possibility is that the control of intake is not coordinated with breathing when it is necessary to trigger the nipple. These results show that lowering the nipples during temperatures that induced panting led to greater water consumption. The results also point to the need to maintain environmental conditions that will reduce panting.
REFERENCES Carpenter, G. H., R. A. Peterson, W. T. Jones, K. R. Daly, and W. A. Hypes, 1992. Effects of two nipple drinker types with different flow rates on the productive performance of broiler chickens during summerlike growing conditions. Poultry Sci. 71:1450–1456. Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11:1–42. Lott, B. D., J. D. Simmons, and J. D. May, 1992. An automated feed and water consumption measuring system for poultry research. Appl. Eng. Agric. 8:521–523. May, J. D., and B. D. Lott, 1992. Feed and water consumption patterns of broilers at high environmental temperatures. Poultry Sci. 71:331–336. National Research Council, 1994. Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. 9th rev ed. National Academy Press. Washington, DC. Reece, F. N., and J. W. Deaton, 1969. Environmental control for poultry research. Agric. Eng. 50:670–671. Reece, F. N., and B. D. Lott, 1983. The effects of temperature and age on body weight and feed efficiency of broiler chickens. Poultry Sci. 62:1906–1908. Wabeck, C. J., L. E. Carr, and V. Byrd, 1994. Broiler drinker systems and seasonal effects on eviscerated carcass and leaf fat weights. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 3:274–278.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
summarized for 24-h periods that began and ended at the minimum temperature. At each age, the consumption was lower for nipple waterers than for the bell waterers. Although the values for the bell waterers have been corrected for evaporation, the amount of waste that was not consumed cannot be determined. Waste is known to occur as the litter cakes around open waterers and is usually dry around nipple waterers. The crucial question involves whether or not water consumption is limited by the nipple waterers. In the first quarter, water consumption was not significantly reduced for nipples at 21, 42, or 49 d of age. At each age during the second and third quarters, the consumption from nipple waterers was significantly lower than for bell waterers. There was no significant difference due to waterer type at any age for the fourth quarter. At every age, consumption from bell waterers was greater during the second quarter than during the first quarter. In no case did water consumption increase from the second to the third quarter. This result is characteristic of the effect previously reported for high cyclic temperatures (May et al., 1992). Such was not the case for nipple waterers. In no case was water consumption significantly greater during the second quarter than during the first quarter with nipple waterers. At 35 and 49 d, consumption was greater in the third quarter than during the second quarter for nipple waterers. The daily water consumption in Trial 3 was averaged over Days 54 to 56 of age (Figure 3). Consumption from bell waterers increased with increasing temperature, but as in the previous trials, consumption from nipple waterers was depressed during the peak temperature. The consumption from nipples was affected by nipple height, and consumption was greater from lower nipples. Daily consumption was greatest for the bell waterer and intermediate for the low nipples and lowest for the high nipples (Table 2). The consumption was lower for the high nipples than from the low nipples for the first three quarters. These results point out a difficulty that chickens have in drinking from nipples. Chickens normally drink by taking water from a pool and raising their heads to let
(Key words: nipple waterers, bell waterers, temperature, water consumption) 1997 Poultry Science 76:944–947
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nipple waterers have become the standard watering system for broilers. Innovations to filter the water and develop effective low-pressure nipples have enabled the rapid shift from open waterers to nipples. The change has improved sanitation by providing cleaner drinking water and reducing spillage around waterers. The nipple waterers also require less labor for cleaning. A few papers have noted limitations with nipple waterers. Carpenter et al. (1992) compared low and high flow rate nipples and found that broilers on high flow rate nipples were heavier at 42 d than those on low flow rate nipples. Wabeck et al. (1994) found that bell waterers gave significantly greater live weights in the spring, summer, and fall. During studies on water consumption, we decided to change from bell to nipple waterers to minimize losses that might result from wastage or evaporation. Our early studies at high cyclic temperatures gave different patterns of daily consumption with nipple waterers as compared with open waterers. Further studies were conducted to determine the cause of the different patterns. This report shows that the height of nipple waterers contributes to different consumption patterns when broilers are exposed to high cyclic temperatures.
Male Ross × Ross chicks were obtained from a commercial hatchery and reared on litter. Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption and lighting was continuous. The corn:soybean meal diets were formulated to meet or exceed National Research Council (1994) requirements. Environmental chambers described by Reece and Deaton (1969) were used to maintain the environmental conditions during the treatment periods of the three trials. The chambers were arranged with two 1.14 × 1.87 m pens per chamber. Each pen had a tube feeder with a pan 35 cm in diameter. Water consumption data were obtained as described by Lott et al. (1992). The water supply container for each pen was suspended from a load cell, and weights were recorded each 30 min. The values for bell waterers were corrected for evaporation. The consumption values are reported as a percentage of body weight. The body weights for each 30-min period were calculated from actual pen weights determined weekly in Trial 1 and at the beginning and end of Trials 2 and 3. Reece and Lott (1983) have shown that body weight increase is linear for these periods.
Trial 1
Received for publication September 9, 1996. Accepted for publication March 3, 1997. 1Trade names in this article are used solely to provide specific information. Use of trade names does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by USDA and does not signify that the product is approved to the exclusion of other comparable products. 2To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Broiler chicks were placed in a controlled-environment house when they were received from the hatchery. The temperature was initially at 29 C and reduced 3 C/wk until 24 C was reached. Some broilers were moved from the rearing house and placed in five environmental chambers when they were 16 d old. Each pen was stocked with 25 broilers. One pen per chamber had a bell waterer 944
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
ABSTRACT Broilers were maintained on litter in environmental chambers to study water consumption from bell and nipple waterers. The chambers were set at high cyclic temperatures of either 24-35-24 C or 24-32-24 C daily cycles in three trials. Water consumption was recorded by computer each 30 min and calculated as a percentage of body weight. Daily water consumption from nipples was always less than from bell waterers. Water consumption by quarter-day rev-
WATERER TYPE AND CONSUMPTION AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
945
33 cm in diameter and the other pen had seven nipple waterers 20 cm apart along the side of the pen. The environmental chambers were set for a 24-35-24 C daily cycle with 21 C dewpoint. The trial ended at 37 d.
Trial 2 Broilers not used in Trial 1 were moved to the five environmental chambers at 37 d and stocked 16 per pen. The environmental conditions were identical to Trial 1 and the trial ended at 49 d.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
FIGURE 1. Water consumption for bell and nipple waterers as percentage of body weight. Values are for 30-min periods but have been multiplied by 48 for comparison to daily consumption values. Broilers were placed in environmental chambers under daily cyclic temperatures of 24-35-24 C when they were 16 d old. Results shown are for A) 21 d, B) 28 d, and C) 35 d.
FIGURE 2. Water consumption for bell and nipple waterers as percentage of body weight. Values are for 30-min periods but have been multiplied by 48 for comparison to daily consumption values. Broilers were placed in environmental chambers under daily cyclic temperatures of 24-35-24 C when they were 37 d old. Results shown are for A) 42 d and B) 49 d.
946
MAY ET AL. TABLE 1. Effect of waterer type and high cyclic temperatures1 on water consumption by broilers
Age (d) 21 28 35 42 49
Quarterly consumption
Waterer type
Daily consumption2
1
2
3
4
Bell Nipple Bell Nipple Bell Nipple Bell Nipple Bell Nipple
27.2a 24.8b 26.0a 21.2b 22.5a 17.1b 23.0a 14.2b 19.0a 13.5b
23.6c 23.3c 25.8bc 20.1de 22.1bc 17.5d 21.8bc 17.5c 17.2b 15.4bc
32.4a 25.7bc 31.1a 21.3de 28.4a 14.3d 30.6a 12.3c 24.6a 9.4e
27.8b 24.7c 28.3ab 23.5cd 24.5b 20.9c 26.1ab 12.7c 23.1a 16.0b
25.0bc 25.5bc 18.9e 20.1de 15.1d 15.7d 13.4c 14.3c 11.0de 13.3cd
Trial 3 Male Ross × Ross broilers from another experiment were randomly stocked 15 per pen in four environmental chambers. The broilers were 43 d old and the trial ended when they were 56 d old. The temperature was cycled 24-32-24 C daily with a constant 21 C dewpoint. One pen per chamber had a bell waterer 33 cm in diameter and the other pen had five nipple waterers 23 cm apart along the side of the pen. In two chambers, the nipple waterers were set at the suggested height for rearing, which required the broilers to extend their necks upward to reach the nipples. Nipples in the other two pens were lower, with the nipples at approximately the height of the back of the broilers.
pected reduction in consumption from nipples during the highest temperature was inconsistent with results with bell waterers and the dogma that chickens need water for latent heat loss during periods of high temperature. Daily water consumption for broilers 42 and 49 d old are presented in Figure 2. For these older broilers, the patterns are even more exaggerated than at 35 d. Water consumption for each day and quarter of the day for Trials 1 and 2 are presented in Table 1. The data were
Statistical Analysis The data for each trial and age were analyzed by PCSAS Release 6.02.3 A one-way analysis of variance was used and Duncan’s (1955) multiple range test was used to identify significant differences among treatment means.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Daily water consumption patterns for broilers 21, 28, and 35 d old are presented in Figure 1. At each age, the consumption for bell waterers increased with increasing temperature and declined when the temperature declined. This result is consistent with previous research (May and Lott, 1992). Water consumption from nipples was relatively constant throughout the day at 21 and 28 d of age. At 35 d, water consumption from nipples peaked when the temperature was changing but was lowest when the temperature was highest. This unex-
3SAS
Institute, Cary, NC 25711.
FIGURE 3. Water consumption for bell and nipple waterers as a percentage of body weight. Values are for 30-min periods but have been multiplied by 48 for comparison to daily consumption values. Broilers were placed in environmental chambers under daily cyclic temperatures of 24-32-24 C when they were 43 d old. Nipple waterers were at recommended height (Nip-High) and lower height (Nip-Low). Results shown were the average consumption for 3 d (54 to 56 d of age).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
a–eMeans within an age and within daily consumption or quarterly consumption with no common subscript differ significantly (P < 0.05). 1The environmental temperature changed each quarter as follows: 1. Temperature increased from 23.9 C to 29.4 C; 2. Temperature increased from 29.4 C to 35 C; 3. Temperature decreased from 35 C to 29.4 C; 4. Temperature decreased from 29.4 C to 23.9 C. 2Consumption is given as percentage of body weight per day. Quarterly consumption is presented as the consumption per quarter times four.
947
WATERER TYPE AND CONSUMPTION AT HIGH TEMPERATURES TABLE 2. Effect of nipple height and high cyclic temperatures1 on water consumption of broilers Quarterly consumption
Waterer
Daily consumption2
1
2
3
4
Bell Nipple-high3 Nipple-low4
16.9a 11.2c 14.7b
17.6abc 13.1e 17.2abcd
20.5a 8.0f 12.7e
18.1ab 10.0f 15.1bcde
11.5ef 13.7de 13.8cde
a–fMeans within daily consumption or quarterly consumption with no common superscript differ significantly (P < 0.05). 1The environmental temperature changed each quarter as follows: 1. Temperature increased from 23.9 to 28.1; 2. Temperature increased from 28.1 to 32.2 C; 3. Temperature decreased from 32.2 to 28.1 C; 4. Temperature decreased from 28.1 to 23.9 C. 2Consumption is given as percentage of body weight per day. Quarterly consumption is presented as the consumption per quarter times four. 3High nipples were at a height that required the broilers to extend their necks to reach the nipple. 4Low nipples were at approximately the height of the back of the broilers.
the water run down the esophagus. The raising of the head must be coordinated with breathing, which is a reflex action. Obtaining water from a higher point is not as typical a behavior as drinking from a pool and seems to create a problem when the birds are panting. The chicken has difficulty coordinating breathing and passage of water down the esophagus. It appears the chicken cannot coordinate the intake of water with breathing if it is not associated with the reflex action of raising the head. Another possibility is that the control of intake is not coordinated with breathing when it is necessary to trigger the nipple. These results show that lowering the nipples during temperatures that induced panting led to greater water consumption. The results also point to the need to maintain environmental conditions that will reduce panting.
REFERENCES Carpenter, G. H., R. A. Peterson, W. T. Jones, K. R. Daly, and W. A. Hypes, 1992. Effects of two nipple drinker types with different flow rates on the productive performance of broiler chickens during summerlike growing conditions. Poultry Sci. 71:1450–1456. Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 11:1–42. Lott, B. D., J. D. Simmons, and J. D. May, 1992. An automated feed and water consumption measuring system for poultry research. Appl. Eng. Agric. 8:521–523. May, J. D., and B. D. Lott, 1992. Feed and water consumption patterns of broilers at high environmental temperatures. Poultry Sci. 71:331–336. National Research Council, 1994. Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. 9th rev ed. National Academy Press. Washington, DC. Reece, F. N., and J. W. Deaton, 1969. Environmental control for poultry research. Agric. Eng. 50:670–671. Reece, F. N., and B. D. Lott, 1983. The effects of temperature and age on body weight and feed efficiency of broiler chickens. Poultry Sci. 62:1906–1908. Wabeck, C. J., L. E. Carr, and V. Byrd, 1994. Broiler drinker systems and seasonal effects on eviscerated carcass and leaf fat weights. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 3:274–278.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Northern Arizona University on May 26, 2015
summarized for 24-h periods that began and ended at the minimum temperature. At each age, the consumption was lower for nipple waterers than for the bell waterers. Although the values for the bell waterers have been corrected for evaporation, the amount of waste that was not consumed cannot be determined. Waste is known to occur as the litter cakes around open waterers and is usually dry around nipple waterers. The crucial question involves whether or not water consumption is limited by the nipple waterers. In the first quarter, water consumption was not significantly reduced for nipples at 21, 42, or 49 d of age. At each age during the second and third quarters, the consumption from nipple waterers was significantly lower than for bell waterers. There was no significant difference due to waterer type at any age for the fourth quarter. At every age, consumption from bell waterers was greater during the second quarter than during the first quarter. In no case did water consumption increase from the second to the third quarter. This result is characteristic of the effect previously reported for high cyclic temperatures (May et al., 1992). Such was not the case for nipple waterers. In no case was water consumption significantly greater during the second quarter than during the first quarter with nipple waterers. At 35 and 49 d, consumption was greater in the third quarter than during the second quarter for nipple waterers. The daily water consumption in Trial 3 was averaged over Days 54 to 56 of age (Figure 3). Consumption from bell waterers increased with increasing temperature, but as in the previous trials, consumption from nipple waterers was depressed during the peak temperature. The consumption from nipples was affected by nipple height, and consumption was greater from lower nipples. Daily consumption was greatest for the bell waterer and intermediate for the low nipples and lowest for the high nipples (Table 2). The consumption was lower for the high nipples than from the low nipples for the first three quarters. These results point out a difficulty that chickens have in drinking from nipples. Chickens normally drink by taking water from a pool and raising their heads to let