Short answer: a broiler drinks about 1.6 to 1.8 times as much water as feed at 21°C. That is roughly 60 ml a day in week 1, 180 ml at day 21 and 300 ml at day 35. At Vital Feeds (Private) Limited, our team asks every farmer with a slow flock one question first: how much did they drink yesterday?
Water is the cheapest input on a broiler farm, and the one most often ignored. A bird that cannot drink will not eat, and a bird that does not eat will not grow. That is why water comes first in our list of ways to reduce broiler FCR.
How much water does a broiler drink compared with feed?
The breeder Aviagen says birds are drinking enough when the water-to-feed ratio is 1.6 to 1.8 to 1 at 21°C, depending on drinker type and weather (Aviagen Brief, Water Utilization in Broilers, 2025). The University of Georgia poultry water primer gives a normal range of 1.6 to 2.0 times the feed weight, and shows the ratio rising from cold to hot weather.
In plain words: for every 1 kg of feed your flock eats, expect it to drink about 1.6 to 1.8 litres of water. In a Punjab summer, expect more.
How much water does a broiler drink per day, by age?
We built this table by multiplying the Ross 308 daily feed figures in our broiler feed per bird chart by the 1.6–1.8 ratio. The results match the target line in Aviagen's own water chart, which reaches about 0.30 litres per bird by day 35. Treat it as a mild-weather guide, not a fixed rule.
| Day | Feed per bird per day (g) | Water per bird per day (ml) | Water per 1,000 birds per day (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 35 | 55–65 | 55–65 |
| 14 | 67 | 105–120 | 105–120 |
| 21 | 105 | 170–190 | 170–190 |
| 28 | 145 | 230–260 | 230–260 |
| 35 | 180 | 290–325 | 290–325 |
| 42 | 207 | 330–375 | 330–375 |
Over a 35-day crop, one bird drinks roughly 5 to 6 litres in total. For a shed of 10,000 birds, that is about 3,000 litres a day in the last week before summer heat is even added.
How can a water meter warn me early?
A simple water meter on the main line is one of the best tools a broiler farmer can buy. Aviagen advises measuring water use and the water-to-feed ratio every day, because changes in drinking are an early sign of health and performance problems. Read the meter at the same time each morning and write it down next to the feed used.
- Water rises suddenly: check for heat stress, a gut problem starting, or salty water. Aviagen notes that birds often drink more at the start of an intestinal upset, and that wetter droppings then raise the risk of coccidiosis.
- Water falls: check for blocked nipples, low pressure at the far end of the line, warm water, or sick birds.
- Water is flat for two days in a growing flock: something is wrong. A healthy flock drinks a little more every day.
How many drinkers do broilers need?
Birds drink in short bouts, many times a day, and they drink most just after the lights come on. If they cannot reach water at that moment, they eat less. Aviagen's minimums after brooding:
- Nipple drinkers: 12 birds per nipple up to 3 kg, and 9 birds per nipple above 3 kg.
- Bell drinkers: 8 drinkers (40 cm wide) per 1,000 birds.
- Nipple flow: about 20–29 ml per minute in week 1, rising to 70–100 ml per minute after day 28.
Test flow with a small measuring jug and a watch. Do it at the far end of the line, not next to the tank.
How do I keep drinking water cool in summer?
Birds drink more to cool down when they are hot. Water standing in pipes under a tin roof can get so warm that birds drink less, just when they need more. The Ross Broiler Pocket Guide (Aviagen, 2025) gives an ideal drinking water temperature of 18–21°C, and says birds should never have to walk more than 2 m to reach water. Shade the tank, flush the lines in the hottest hours and read our full summer heat stress guide for poultry.
What water mistakes slow broiler growth?
- Checking the tank level but never the flow at the far drinkers.
- Setting nipple lines too high for young chicks, or too low for older birds.
- Not testing well or bore water. The University of Georgia primer lists a preferred pH of 6.0 to 6.8 and limits for hardness, iron and bacteria.
- Disturbing birds for long periods during weighing or vaccination, which breaks their drinking bouts.
- Blaming the feed when weight falls, before checking water. Compare your flock with the broiler weight chart and the water meter together.
Written by Waqas Rafiq, CEO, Vital Feeds (Private) Limited.
Good water lets good feed do its job. See our broiler starter, grower and finisher feed, or message the mill on WhatsApp (UAN 0311 1555136) for help with a slow flock.