EFFECT OF IODINE-TREATED WATER ON THE PERFORMANCE AND SOME BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS OF MEAT-STRAIN CHICKS

EMEASH, H; FAYED, R; ESSAWY, G

doi:10.21608/vmjg.1994.372049

EFFECT OF IODINE-TREATED WATER ON THE PERFORMANCE AND SOME BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS OF MEAT-STRAIN CHICKS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Dept. of Hygiene and Animal Ethology, Fac. vet. Med., Beni-Suef, Cairo University

² Dept. of Hygiene and Animal Ethology, Fac. of Vet. Med., Cairo University.

³ Dept. of Physiology, Fac. of Vet. Med., Cairo University.

10.21608/vmjg.1994.372049

Abstract

Some behavioural patterns (ingestive, body care and comfort) as well as the performance of meat-strain chicks which received iodine treated water for 49 days were investigated. One hundred fifty one-day-old Arbor Actes chicks which were divided into three equal groups (I, 11 and III) each of $0 chicks were used. Chicks of group (I) which recived water treated with 10 ppm active lodine showed good ingestive behaviour represented by high feeding (42.4%). drinking (38.8%) and the length of feeding time elapsed (82.8 second / bird), and consequently 4 high body weight gain (1634.0 g) and feed efficiency (0.443). At the same time, a marked increase in a comfort, resting, sleeping and body preening behaviours were observed in comparison with chicks in group (II) that received wates treated with 25 ppm active iodine which showed the least marked increase in body weight gain (141.0 g) and feed eficiency (0.387), while birds in control group (IIl) which received non-iodine treated water showed a high feeding (40.8%), ground pecking (18.2%), sleeping (22.1%) and body preening (32.5%) with consequently a moderate in feeding efficiency utilization (0.418). Iodine treated water increase the concentration of haemoglobin and erythrocytic count, without a significant difference observed between the three groups. In conclusion, the addition of iodine in drinking water (10 ppm) can significantly affect and improve the behaviour of maintenance, and act as a good prowth promoting factor represented by increase in both body weight gain and feed efficrency.

Main Subjects