Temperatura da água em bebedouros utilizados em instalações para aves de postura

Animal's water consumption and productivity are influenced by the drinking water temperature. However, there is a lack of information comparing water temperature in nipple and continuous drinker systems, commonly employed in Brazilian layer hens housing. In this research, drinking water temperature variation was evaluated considering two waterier systems: nipple and continuous. The trial was conduced in a laying hens commercial housing, located in the West region of Parana State, Brazil. For the water temperature recording, thermometers were placed inside the water in the nipple and the continuous drinker systems, in two similar buildings, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The BGHI (black globe humidity index) was estimated using the obtained data from black globe thermometers placed near the place where water temperature was recorded, in the central area of the building. The highest water temperature values were observed in the nipple system, that reached 31 oC at 4:00 PM (average values), while in the continuous system it reached 26.4 oC. A relation between water temperature and environmental BGHI values was calculated. The highest correlation coefficient was found for the nipple system. Without considering the sanitary aspect for the conditions in which the work was developed, it can be concluded that the best system is the continuous waterier, in terms of drinking water temperature.