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Deuterium for Estimating Total Body Water and Turnover Rates in Turkeys Exposed to Different Incubation Treatments

Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany

¹ Corresponding author: ariek{at}gwdg.de

Total water intake (TWI) in poultry can be influenced by various factors. Recommendations for water requirements are usually reported on a flock basis without considering individual variation. In the present study, a total of 18 turkeys were used to measure water intake over a 1-wk period starting at 15 wk of age by applying the deuterium dilution technique. Poults originated from eggs exposed to different incubation treatments, with eggs incubated at normal temperature (37.5°C) and eggs subjected to 38.5°C at embryonic d 9 to 12. Experimental birds were kept in flocks of 22 to 30 birds separated by sex and treatment. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Incubation treatment had no significant effect on any of the parameters investigated (BW, daily gain, water turnover rate, total body water, TWI), whereas sex exerted a significant effect on nearly all traits. Total body water ranged between 60 and 65% of BW, with significantly (P < 0.05) greater values for toms (63.2%) than for hens (60.9%). Males had approximately 30% greater water influxes than females (1,054 ± 198 vs. 742 ± 153 mL/d, mean ± SD). However, the significant influence of sex was eliminated (P = 0.464) when TWI was expressed as grams per kilogram of BW (76 ± 18 vs. 70 ± 12 mL/kg of BW; males vs. females). Water consumed averaged 837 mL in male and 569 mL per day in female birds. The present results suggest that the isotope dilution method offers a viable method to measure individual water intake, which can be used for establishing reference values for water consumption in group-housed turkeys.

Key Words: turkey • total body water • water flux • isotope dilution • incubation temperature