NEW WATER SYSTEM FOR CHICKENS

[Anchor Lead]

Chickens are particularly vulnerable to high heat, but just giving them cool water could help keep the mortality rate down. But it hasn't been easy to supply cool water at a constant temperature. Now the Rural Development Administration has come up with new waterworks to solve that problem.

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A chicken farm in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province. Hundreds died because of the heat wave. Since chickens don't have sweat glands, they are unable to control body temperature. This is why they're especially susceptible to hot weather.

[Soundbite] PROF. RYU KYEONG-SEON(CHONBUK NAT'L UNIV.) : "The chickens don't have sweat glands to release heat. So they have higher body temperatures than other animals."

Chicken farmers were relieved to learn that a study showed chicken mortality plunged 84% when the birds were fed cold water of around 15 degrees Celsius for four weeks. But it wasn't easy to maintain that specific cold temperature. Even when cold water was supplied, it soon became tepid. It's a different story in this particular chicken farm. The temperature inside soars above 35 degrees Celsius, but the water for the livestock is maintained at 15 degrees. The farm installed waterworks that supplies the birds with cool water around the clock. Eighteen chicken farms nationwide employed the system, and saw their chicken mortality rates go down by more than 80%.

[Soundbite] KIM YEON-GYEOM(FARMER USING COOL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM) : "The chickens grow faster and the morality rate has gone down. I expect to see a 10 to 20% rise in productivity."

Last year's heat wave killed over eight million chickens. So far this year, over a million have died already. The Rural Development Administration plans to distribute the new cool water supply system to more chicken farmers.