The effects of supplying water with an ‘in-house’ or commercial electrolyte formulation for 3 d during severe heat stress on performance and meat quality of meat chickens was investigated.

At day 35 of age, Cobb-500 meat chickens (N = 22, 11 of each sex/treatment) were allocated to 36 floor pens (12 pens/ treatment). The three treatments were, 1: (Control) tap water; 2: ‘In-house’ electrolytes at 416.4 g/100 L water; 3: commercial electrolyte⁻at 200 g/100 L water. The treatments were applied from 16:00 h on d 39 to 17:00 h on d 42 of age. On d 40-42 the ambient temperature remained at 20-22 ⁰C (17:00-08:00 h), then gradually over 08:00-12:00 h increased to a maximum of 32 ⁰C where it remained until 15:00 h, and then reduced to 20-22 ⁰C at 17:00 h. The severity of heat stress was assessed using the following Thermal-Humidity Index (THI): THI (%) = 0.8T_db + RH (Tdb-14.3)/100 + 46.3. At 18:30 h on d 42 birds were loaded and transported to the processing plant and held in lairage overnight.

Individual body weights, pen feed and water intakes were recorded at the start and end of the supplementations. In the morning, at the processing plant birds were weighed before and after evisceration with carcasses then stored overnight at 2 ⁰C and the following morning breast muscle meat quality traits were determined.

Based on the THI values, at peak temperature, birds suffered ‘severe thermal discomfort’. Liveweight was improved in both sexes treated with the ‘in-house’ electrolyte but only males benefited on the commercial electrolyte. The ‘in-house’ electrolyte improved feed efficiency. There were no effects on losses during transport and lairage or breast muscle yield and meat quality.

Behavioural observations indicated that birds spent 74-81 percent of their time crouching on the litter. Temperature beneath crouching birds was on average 4.4 ⁰C higher than the ambient temperature and could be adding to the thermal challenge experienced by the birds and warrants further investigation.

When supplied during periods of high temperature, electrolyte water supplementation alleviates in part the performance losses.

研究了在严重热应激条件下持续3 d用“自家”或商业电解质配方供水对肉鸡的生产性能和肉品质的影响。

在第35日龄时，将Cobb-500肉鸡（N = 22，每种性别/处理11只）分配给36支地板笔（12笔/处理）。三种处理方法是：1 ：（对照）自来水；2：以416.4 g / 100 L的水添加``内部''电解质; 3：商用电解质^-在200克/ 100升水。从第39天的16:00 h到第42天的17:00 h进行治疗。在40-42天，环境温度保持在20-22⁰C（17：00-08：00 h），然后在08：00-12：00 h逐渐升高到最高32⁰C，直到15:00为止h，然后在17:00 h降至20-22℃。使用以下热湿指数（THI）评估热应激的严重性：THI（％）= 0.8T _db +相对湿度（Tdb-14.3）/ 100 + 46.3。在第18天的30:30小时，将42只家禽装载并运输到加工厂，并在笼养中过夜。

在补充开始和结束时记录个人体重，围栏喂食和进水。早晨，在加工厂将家禽内脏去除内脏之前和之后称重家禽，然后在2°C下储存过夜，并在第二天早上确定胸肌的肉质特征。

根据THI值，在峰值温度下，家禽会遭受“严重的热不适”。使用“自家”电解质治疗的男女的体重均得到改善，但只有男性受益于商业电解质。“内部”电解质提高了进料效率。对运输和驯养过程中的损失或胸肌产量和肉质没有影响。

行为观察表明，鸟类将其时间的74-81％蹲在垫料上。蹲下的鸟的温度平均比环境温度高4.4⁰C，这可能会增加鸟的体温，因此有待进一步研究。

当在高温期间供应时，补充电解质水可部分缓解性能损失。