The key to a successful water program is to assess issues and identify opportunities to improve the quality of the water at a specific location or house, said Susan Watkins, emeritus distinguished professor for the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas, during the 2019 U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) Live Production, Welfare & Biosecurity Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 17.
Watkins said that, after assessing your water program and identifying the issues, it is important to develop a program that compliments your water and allows it to be consistent. From a management standpoint, that requires producers to monitor and verify what works continuously.
"Make water quality part of the team culture," she said.
If a program only has one person on the team putting time and effort into the water quality, it is hard to get everyone on board with the importance of the water situation for the entire operation, she said.
Start with a visual inspection
Watkins suggests inspecting water visually first. Management should collect water from the end of the line. If a producer has foggy or muddy water at the end of line collection, it should be compared with the water at the source. This will help to better understand where the debris or water discoloration is starting.
She said it is a good idea to go inside the water system with an inspection camera.
Watkins recommends using an inspection camera to look inside the water lines for any problems. This is a relatively cheap tool that can be of great use, she said. (Susan Watkins)
"With this tool, you can very quickly determine if you are on track or if you need to do some fixing," Watkins said.
Establish a baseline and evaluate water during product use
Producers should establish a baseline with a total bacteria test of the initial water source, she said. This is a relatively inexpensive test that allows the producer to understand what they're facing from the source before they begin developing a treatment plan.
If a producer has foggy or muddy water at the end of line collection, it should be compared with the water at the source to determine where the problem is starting. (Susan Watkins)
She added that it is important to evaluate water during product use as well.
"We get caught up in this no-antibiotic-ever world of using lots of different things, we still need to take sample drips to determine and re-evaluate what we are doing," she said.
Working with a diagnostic lab will help producers better understand what the birds are getting through their water supply. Once a producer understands what bacteria is in the water supply, they may be able to relate it to hen mortality, she said.
Water sanitation
"Water sanitation is our insurance policy," she said. Pathogens isolated from poultry water supplies include cholera, E. coli, Campylobacter, avian influenza and many more. That's why it is important to monitor for such things.
Producers should also keep in mind that city water or reverse osmosis water is not guaranteed to be pathogen-free.
"It may start clean, but that doesn't mean it will stay clean," she said.
Some operations cannot go without a water sanitation treatment plan for even one day without birds being in danger of developing some kind of respiratory problem, she said.
Biofilm
Dirty water systems mean biofilm, which creates a place for pathogens to thrive.
"Keeping the biofilm reduced minimizes the place for bad pathogens to be," Watkins said.
Producers should remember that clean pipes can rebuild biofilm in three to five days if poor-quality water is reintroduced.
"Systems need line cleaning and daily sanitation," she said.
To reduce the risk of health challenges within the water, producers should make sure that water is not slow-moving or warm and that the lines do not have hiding places or pinch points.
"Consistent water programs reduce the risks opportunist pathogens create," Watkins said.
Problem-solving tools
Drip samples may not always reflect what is present in the lines. Producers should swab inside the end of the line to properly determine what pathogens are inside.
"We need to make sure that when we do this we are not standing in front of a fan or other air movement," Watkins said. She recommended using a hydrated sterile swab.
Monitoring the water system with swabs can help to identify weaknesses. For instance, comparing swabs from house to house can help detect issues in different cleaning methods or water treatments.
Cleaning the water system is essential, especially in between flocks.
"The right concentration of an effective cleaner left for the proper amount of time is the key to success," she said. Improper cleaner concentration or use of the product can result in an unsuccessful cleaning.
The entire system should be cleaned, including the water lines, standpipes, regulator and distribution pipes. Swabs should be collected before and after cleaning.
"There are a lot of great products; document which one is best for you," she said. Producers should use a sanitizer after cleaning to make sure all the microbes that may have survived the cleaning are killed. An ideal time to do this process is right before the new birds move in.
Adding dye to the water line cleaning products allows the producer to make sure the product is in the system or eventually completely removed.
Minerals
Minerals can be one of the biggest challenges affecting the water supply. Minerals can affect the birds and the systems. Iron, manganese and sulfur are among the biggest challenges. It is important to test for minerals because birds are not necessarily sensitive to the taste of them.
Minerals may create heavy gelatinous stringy masses, reduce pipe volume and clog drinkers, Watkins said. They can also promote the presence of Pseudomonas and E. coli.
To control minerals in the water system, one should oxidize iron and sulfur with chlorine, make sure the pH levels are correct, use filtration to remove the minerals and use some sort of acidification or other treatment, she said.
Final considerations
Producers should be cautious leaving organic acids in mixing tanks and water lines between flocks, she said. Use of the acids may result in slime issues. To fix the issue, stop using the organic acid and run bleach to raise the pH and provide some chlorine to the shut down the problem.
"As an industry, the more we can use our therapeutic products during the day and then in the afternoon we finish up that product so we put them to bed with good sanitized water, the more we are going to minimize these types of challenges we have on the farm," she said.
She concluded by reminding producers that management is critical in creating a water program that they, and their employees, believe in.
