Efficient water management practices for broiler flocks

To ensure efficient chicken flock performance, water and drinking systems must meet certain standards and be carefully controlled.

Collect water samples at least twice a year, and use the above chart to review acceptable levels of contaminants, minerals and ions. | Cobb-Vantress 2018 Broiler Management Guide
Collect water samples at least twice a year, and use the above chart to review acceptable levels of contaminants, minerals and ions. | Cobb-Vantress 2018 Broiler Management Guide

There is one factor often overlooked when discussing broiler nutrition: water. Water is the most important nutrient for efficient broiler production and one to which close attention needs to be paid.

Water quality

If water is not good enough for humans to drink, then it is not good enough for the flocks. Many factors affect water quality, the most important being source, bacteria, pH level, hardness and total dissolved solids.

If the water supply to a poultry house is not properly managed, it can harbor many hidden threats, including bacteria, viruses and protozoa, and a poultry drinking system is a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.

Regularly monitor the hidden threats that may be lurking in the water supply to avoid issues.

Check the temperature of the water using a combined temperature/pH measurement device. Temperatures above 26.7 C will significantly reduce water and feed intake. Water temperature should be below 20 C and should never exceed 25 C.

Collect water samples at least twice each year; once in summer and once in winter, and test for microbial and mineral content.

Collect samples at the source and at the end of the drinking line. To ensure the sample is fresh, let the water run for a few minutes before collecting. Use a sterile container with no airspace and send it immediately to the laboratory.

Broilers Drinking 2

To maximize flock performance, water must not only be of sufficient quality, but it must be easily available to all birds. | Courtesy Cobb-Vantress

pH has a considerable impact on water quality and consumption, with small variances leading to big issues. A change in scale of one (+/-) translates to a tenfold difference. Strive for a pH level of 7; the ideal level for pure water.

Closely monitor the “hardness” of the water, i.e. the presence of dissolved minerals. Components affecting the hardness of water are calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. High mineral levels form limescale or sludge in the drinking system, reducing pipe volume and nipple flow rates significantly.

Water sanitization

When chlorine is added to drinking water, it creates hypochlorous acid (HOCl) — a weak acid that will further dissociate into chlorine (OCl-). The HOCl is 80-300 times more effective as a sanitizer compared with OCl-. Effective chlorination requires a pH of less than seven.

Test the disinfection potential of water with an oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) meter, which measures in millivolts (mV). The higher the value, the better the disinfecting power of chlorine when added to water. A low value indicates a heavy organic load, which will disable the chlorine to disinfect the water. The optimum level to kill Escherichia coli and other harmful bacteria and viruses is 650 mV. Salmonella and clostridia require a level of 750 mV. At levels of less than 250 mV, chlorine is not effective.

Drinker systems and management

Many factors influence water consumption, including age/breed of the flock, house temperature, and the physical feed structure. The primary influence is the drinking equipment installed and how this has been calculated (number of birds/drinker, nipple).

Drinking systems have improved with the switch from open water systems (bell drinkers) to closed systems (nipple lines).

Open water systems are at risk of bacterial contamination and allow foreign matter to gain entry. Closed water systems reduce risk and afford easier temperature management, less water spillage and are easier to clean. The disadvantage of the latter system, however, is that managers cannot see the water, making visual water quality checks difficult.

Whichever system is used, it can only be successful if properly managed.

A nipple system with 360-degree access is preferred. Calculate the number of nipples at a rate of 8-12 birds (low/high flow). Any compromise on this number will affect water and feed intake and, therefore, growth. The height of the drinkers depends on the age of the flock. Test the amount of water the nipples supply, as this will show you the pressure in the water line and cleanliness of the system. An easy way to test this is to use a nipple flow meter.

Birds often spend less than one minute drinking. They must consume the desired amount during this time, otherwise flock performance will be reduced. Incorrect water line management will highly impact the technical performances of a flock.

Lastly, watch out for biofilm buildup, which easily occurs and may not easily be seen if not actively looked for.

Biofilm builds up as thick slime on the inside of a water line. It can cause health challenges flock after flock, as it can hide E. coli, Salmonella and other threats. To prevent biofilm development, use an aggressive cleaning and sanitizing program during turnaround, complete with flushing and sanitizing. Flushing is only effective with a water flow of 2 m/s (1.5-2 bars). When in doubt, use hydrogen peroxide to remove biofilm from the system, as it will break down the biofilm and is not corrosive.

 

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