Water is necessary for success on a poultry farm, yet it is often overlooked. Keeping a clean water system prevents disease, saves time and leads to greater flock performance.
As part of the virtual Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, held on August 12 and 13, 2020, Dr. Susan Watkins, an emeritus distinguished professor at the University of Arkansas, spoke about the proper methods for achieving and maintaining clean water lines.
She said there is no perfect, uniform solution, but rather a grower should focus on creating and maintaining a cleaning program that works for them.
Why clean water?
Water is a perfect conduit for bird health challenges. Viruses, bacteria and other harmful microbes are transported by water and can make a home in the waterlines. Furthermore, biofilm and scaling formed by the same microbes or the mineral content of the water supply can cause costly damage to the water regulation equipment and the drinkers or inhibit the flow of water to the birds.
Growers often overlook the quality of their water supply or drinking systems. Watkins said cleaning and sanitizing water lines is an insurance policy against the diseases potentially living in, and transported by, water lines.
Cleaning and sanitizing water lines is an insurance policy against the diseases potentially living in, and transported by, water lines. (Zhang Yongxin | iStock.com)
Cleaning basics
Farmers need to clean their water systems between every flock. The more often they clean, she said, the better the environment for good performance. Cleaning the system, however, requires the right concentration of cleaner, the correct amount of time for the cleaning method to work and proper cleaning of every component of the water system.
Identifying which product to use requires a scientific approach. She encouraged growers to try different solutions and document how well they performed in order to find the best method for their farm. A more comprehensive check of the system can be performed by visually inspecting the lines with a specially designed camera, or using a swab, and comparing the findings before and after cleaning.
She said bleach, peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide can all be used as cleaners. Citric acid should not be used as a cleaner, but it is useful for removing scale from lines after removing slime.
Once cleaning is complete, Watkins said a total flush should be conducted to completely remove the cleaning solution, minerals and microbes from the line. Adding a colored dye makes visualization of the flushing process easier. This flush ensures any harmful materials are purged from the line.
Daily sanitization
Cleaning the lines out is just one part of the solution, Watkins said. After the system is cleaned, it should be flushed with a sanitizer to prevent the reappearance of microbes in the water supply. Sanitizers should also be added to the system daily to control microbes in the system.
Any sanitizer must be safe for the birds to consume and used in the proper amount. Moreover, it should be compatible with water, easy to use, easy to monitor and cost-effective for the farm.
Chlorine
Watkins said she prefers chlorine because of its low cost and effectiveness. However, it is not a perfect sanitizer.
Bleach is a useful cleaner and sanitizing agent for water, but it is not perfect. (Jonathan Weiss | BigstockPhoto)
She identified the following drawbacks to using chlorine:
- The pH level of the water must be between 4.0 to 7.0 to be effective.
- If not enough is used, bacteria will survive. If used under the wrong conditions, microorganisms can become resistant to it.
- If the water is too cold, or too dirty, it is not as effective.
- If the exposure time is too short, it will not work.
- If the microorganism is too mature, it will not work as well.
- The age and storage conditions of chlorine, stored as bleach, can influence its effectiveness.
She said she’s often asked how much chlorine is too much. It depends on the product that’s used to add chlorine to the water. Often, bleach with a pH of 11 is used. That requires the addition of bitter sodium hydroxide, which the birds do not like in the water.
How much free chlorine residual can be used without preventing the birds from drinking the water depends on the following:
- The product concentration: Is a 6% or a 12% solution? A higher concentration of chlorine requires less sodium hydroxide and therefore less bitterness to the water.
- Product storage: Exposure to sunlight causes a significant loss of chlorine in the product.
- Storage temperature: Storing a product in a hot area can reduce the chlorine content.
When using chlorine, Watkins recommended testing the oxidation-reduction potential, or ORP, of the water. This determines the potency of the chlorine that’s present in the water. If that test renders a 750 to 800 millivolt finding, that indicates the chlorine level of the water is ideal for sanitation. Using only the ORP cannot detect, however, over chlorination of the water.
Susan Watkins, University of Arkansas (Sara Landis)
To prevent over chlorination, she said to monitor the chlorine residual. Free chlorine should be detected between 2 to 6 parts per million (ppm) and total chlorine should be no more than 8 to 10 ppm. Finally, if the levels are correct, she said growers should taste the water for bitterness.
Chlorine dioxide
Chlorine dioxide is a strong oxidizer and its more effective in water with higher pH levels, such as 8 instead of 6. Therefore, it may not be as compatible as chlorine for programs using organic acids or acidifiers.
The target residuals for chlorine dioxide are up to 5 ppm and the free residual is 1 ppm. It is available as a ready to use product with 5% to 7% solutions of sodium chlorite. Watkins prefers liquid sodium chlorite and inorganic acids injected into a mixing chamber. A good activation chamber that promotes these two chemicals interacting results in an optimal conversion to 60% to 80% chlorine dioxide.
Liquid inorganic acids tend to be the best activator and the quality of acid reduces the risk of mineral contamination that can tie up the chlorine dioxide.
Hydrogen peroxide
Watkins said hydrogen peroxide is also a great sanitation product. The target amount is 50 to 125 ppm in drinking water. It is good for surface water sanitizing and controls taste issues with the added benefit of not leaving chlorine by-products. However, it is not as good at oxidizing iron and manganese. Stabilized hydrogen peroxide products tend to last longer in the water.
This disinfectant is a good option during the first few days of a flock that is struggling with health. She said it lasts as a residual for a long period and is useful in systems with less circulation or that cannot be constantly flushed.
