• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.259-263
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• 2002

It was examined whether the ceca and the back-flow of urine into the lower intestine are involved in water intake and excretion in chickens and food intake affects those. Colostomy significantly increased water intake, total water excretion and the ratio of the water intake to food intake in the ceca-ligated chickens under restrict and ad libitum feeding conditions (P<0.05), but the increases were much larger in chickens fed ad libitum than in those fed restrictedly. Cecal ligation increased water intake, total water excretion and the ratio of water intake to food intake in the colostomised chickens which were fed freely (P<0.05). but not in those fed restrictedly, None of colostomy and cecal ligation affected the resultant water balances in chickens under both feeding conditions. Colostomy increased food intake in the ceca-ligated chickens (P<0.05), but no increase by cecal ligation was observed in colostomised chickens. It is concluded that the lower intestine takes a very important role in water recovery from urine to maintain water balance in chickens.