10 tips for ensuring clean poultry drinking water

Learn how cleaning and disinfection can help to ensure that poultry have access to fresh and clean drinking water.

Subscribe to Magazine
Providing clean and fresh water for poultry is essential. Courtesy Intracare.
Providing clean and fresh water for poultry is essential. Courtesy Intracare.

Providing clean and fresh water for poultry is essential. If birds are to perform well, producers must understand a number of key variables where water and drinking lines are concerned, particularly the cleaning and disinfection of the water system.

If incoming water is of good quality, it may not be necessary to clean and disinfect the drinking lines on a daily basis, and this procedure can be conducted, instead, weekly.

To achieve this, however, producers need to understand the following key points:

1. Know the water quality of your source

Test water frequently to determine its physiochemical characteristics, for example, presence of excess minerals, toxic compounds or microbiological contaminants. This will allow you to determine whether continuous water treatment is needed during the grow-out cycle, or whether dosing one day a week is sufficient.

2. Know water quality at last drinking nipple

Do not assume that a good water source means that drinking water quality is good throughout the whole drinking system. Comparing water quality from the source to that at the last nipple will tell you whether your system is polluted or not.

3. Use a product that acts throughout the system

The last part of the drinking system can be viewed as the danger zone, where the temperature is higher and microbial growth is accelerated. Choose a cleaning and disinfection product that reaches the final part of the system, not one that works only across the first few meters.

4. Don't ignore biofilm 

Choose a product that not only disinfects but that also cleans. While the water that is flushed out of the drinking system may appear to be clean, this does not mean that biofilm has been removed from the system. If a product is used that only has disinfection properties and does not clean, biofilm will remain in the interior of the drinking system.

5. Use a product registered for occupied and empty houses

Select a product that is registered for use in both empty and operational houses. For example, within Europe, look for products with a European Chemicals Agency Biocidal Product Registration, which will guarantee that the product complies with efficacy and safety standards and is permitted in drinking water.

6. Calculate the correct dose 

To calculate the dosage, you need to know how much water is present in the entire system

As a guide, multiply the diameter in inches and divide by two (inch * inch /2). If, for example, the length in inches is 1, the calculation will be (1*1) / 2 = ½ liter per meter. This figure is then multiplied by the length of the system to establish how much water is present.

7. Activate the nipples when cleaning an empty house

When cleaning and disinfecting an empty house, the drinking nipples should be activated to ensure that this part of the system is cleaned and disinfected. This can be easily achieved by passing over them with a broom or gently shaking the water system. After cleaning, rinse the drinking nipples with clean water.

8. Use a low dose on stagnant water before repopulation 

If the water system is cleaned and disinfected when the house is empty, a number of days may pass before restocking occurs. Ensure that a low, permitted dose of disinfectant is kept in standing water to prevent contamination, since the ambient temperature will be rising to 34 C and there will be no water flow.

9. Stay in control during the grow-out cycle

Use tools to check contamination levels in water lines during the grow-out cycle. This allows dosage of cleaning and disinfection products to be adjusted to exactly what is necessary to keep the whole system free from biofilm and pathogens.


Checking Water QualityWater quality must be checked at the end of the drinking line to ensure that the whole system is clean and disinfected. Courtesy Intracare.

 

10. Check water lines' positioning and longevity 

Ensure that water lines are horizontal and that there are adequate suspension points. Calculate 15 to 30 birds per drinking nipple and position the drinking points at around 15-20 cm from each other.

Water systems are generally made of plastic. While this has many advantages, there are certain chemicals that may result in damage to the drinking lines. Always check the suitability of a product with your supplier to ensure that it will not reduce the useful life of the system.


How the poultry sector can better manage water resources

Subscribe to Magazine
Page 1 of 62
Next Page