Effect of terracotta drinker and/or water addition of ASPRO‐C plus on behavior, growth, and physiological response of broiler chickens exposed to high temperature

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a terracotta drinker and/or water supplementation with ASPRO‐C Plus on the zootechnical performance of broiler chickens reared in a hot environment. A total of 160 Cobb 500 broiler chicks of 15 days old (240.2 ± 39.82 g) were divided into four treatment groups in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of drinker type (plastic or terracotta) and water with or without ASPRO‐C Plus (1 g/L) supplementation, each consisting of 4 replicate pens. Respiratory rate, water intake, feed intake, and live body weight were recorded weekly. At 49 days old, 12 birds per group were randomly selected, fasted for 12 h, weighed, and slaughtered for carcass evaluation and blood collection. The respiration rate of broilers decreased significantly ( p < 0.01) with the terracotta drinker as compared to the plastic drinker. The water intake, the feed intake and the body weight gain increased significantly ( p < 0.01) with the terracotta drinker as compared to the plastic drinker. The water addition of ASPRO‐C Plus significantly increased ( p < 0.01) the relative weight of abdominal fat and spleen in broilers. The alpha‐amylase activity was significantly decreased ( p < 0.01) with the water addition of ASPRO‐C Plus. The serum content of total cholesterol was significantly increased ( p < 0.01) with the terracotta drinker. It can be concluded that ASPRO‐C Plus can slightly improve liveability, but using the terracotta drinker can be more efficient in reducing the behavioral response to heat stress and can improve the growth performance.