Evaluation of effect of treated water on production traits of broiler chickens
Mitko Lalev
, Ivelina Ivanova
, Nadya Mincheva
, Pavlina Hristakieva
, Magdalena Oblakova
, Nikolay Ivanov
, Krasimir Velikov
, Ivan Slavov
Abstract: The interest in water purification technologies in animal husbandry has significantly increased. This necessitates seeking and investigating different methods for processing the water for consumption in poultry farming. For this reason, our research was aimed at evaluation of the effects of different types of treated water on growth performance of broiler chickens, slaughter traits and some meat physicochemical parameters.
The experiment included 300 day-old male Ross 308 chickens, divided into 5 groups (each group with three replications with 20 chicks), and reared until 49 days of age. Depending on the type of tested water, the birds were distributed in the following groups: group I (control) received tap water; group II received water purified by reverse osmosis; group III received magnetic water; group IV – received hydrogen water; group V received alkaline water.
At the end of the experiment, a trend for higher live weight was observed in the experimental groups receiving alkaline water and reverse osmosis water, with differences compared to the control group ranging from 5.99% to 7.28%, respectively (P=0.054).The effects of hydrogen and magnetically treated water on final live weight were small and insignificant (P>0.05).
A significantly higher slaughter yield was reported in all experimental groups (P<0.05). The groups that received water treated with osmosis, hydrogen and alkaline water had a significantly higher carcass weight. No significant differences were found in the other parameters - thigh, breast, wings, gizzard and heart. No significant between-group differences in the physicochemical properties of the meat were demonstrated throughout the experiment.
Keywords: broiler chickens; carcass characteristics; drinking water; meat physicochemical parameters; performance
Citation: Lalev, M., Ivanova, I., Mincheva, N., Hristakieva, P., Oblakova, M., Ivanov, N., Velikov, K. & Slavov, I. (2026). Evaluation of effect of treated water on production traits of broiler chickens. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 32(3), 684–692
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| Date published: 2026-06-25
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