Use of Aqua-Jel® and Feed for Nutrient Supply During Long Journey Air Transport of Baby Chicks

Severe body dehydration had been hypothesized as a major cause for elevated mortalities of breeder chicks associated with long-journey air transport. To test this hypothesis and to explore means of alleviating chick stress and subsequent mortality, five short-term experiments involving 6,000 neonate breeder chicks (1,200 chicks per experiment) were conducted using environment-controlled chambers. Specifically, Experiment I evaluated the effects of supplying water only on chick performance during extended posthatch fasting and subsequent growth. Experiment II evaluated the feasibility of a commercial Aqua-Jel® containing 93% water as a water replacement for the chicks. Experiment III compared continuous versus intermittent lighting regimes on chick performance. Experiments IV and V were conducted to consolidate findings from the previous experiments. Specifically, Experiment V involved a 24-h, round-trip flight of the experimental chicks between Des Moines, Iowa, and Miami, Florida. Air temperature inside the environmental chambers was maintained at 29 ± 0.5°C with a relative humidity of 30 to 45% throughout the trial periods