US: Studies point to water efficiency practices in poultry industry

Global climate change and rising populations will make drinking water more scarce in the coming decades, according to a report from the United Nation’s World Water Development. Nearly one-third of the world’s population has limited or virtually no access to clean drinking water. The agriculture sector will also face water shortages. Scientists in Arkansas are trying to find ways to conserve water in the poultry industry. In the first scientific report of its kind, researchers in Arkansas showed that chickens bred for water conservation continued to put on weight despite heat stress that would normally slow growth. The specially bred line of chickens were developed by Sara Orlowski, assistant professor of poultry sciences at the University of Arkansas. The study, which was part of a five-year project funded by a $9.95 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, showed a broiler chicken’s physiology could be significantly ...