Effect of Number and Location of Nipple Waterers and Cage Shape on the Performance of Caged Layers

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of number of nipple waterers (NW) per four-bird, deep cage (30.5 × 45.7 cm deep) or shallow cage of exact reverse dimensions and location of these waterers on productivity of commercial strain of White Leghorn layers reared in floor pens equipped with either dome or trigger cup waterers. The pullets were housed in laying cages at 18 wk of age. In both experiments, cage shape had no significant effects on the variables measured. Location of NW effects varied between experiments; hens incages with NW located in the front of the cage had a significantly (P<.05) lower rate of lay (1.7%) in Experiment 2 and less mortality (5.4%) in Experiment 1 than those in cages with NW located in the rear. Location of NW had a NS effect on water consumption in both experiments. Number of NW per cage significantly (P<.05) affected water consumption in both experiments. Hens in cages with two NW consumed 32.5 and 36.7 mL/hen day more water in Experiment 1 and 2, respectively, than those in cages with one NW.