Basic information

Constant checking of water in the poultry farm is something that should be done on a regular basis to ensure that an adequate quantity and quality of water is available. Water, along with temperature management, good air quality, clean formulated feed and protection from disease, are the five basic needs of poultry to optimise bird performance

Water and feed consumption are directly correlated, meaning that if one decreases, they both decrease. So if water consumption drops for a few days, then feed consumption will decrease as well. While water is an important nutrient, it is also a critical component of the environmental control system when using evaporative cooling to keep the birds cool in hot weather

Water devoid of any microorganisms is desired, because even non-pathogenic organisms such as iron bacteria can cause the formation of a biofilm, which can restrict water flow and even block nipples on drinker lines. If bacteria are present, consult with a professional to determine the best protocol for shock chlorinating of the well. While this procedure can reduce microbial counts from wells, it may have to be repeated to keep the microbial counts low

Features

1. Water is so important for the correct digestion and the overall health of laying chickens and other poultry so really should not be over-looked

2. Water is the most important nutrient in a bird’s diet. Half of a bird’s body is made up of water and eggs are made up of around 65% water

3. Clean, fresh drinking water is essential for good health and prevents a number of diseases from striking

4. Drinking water for chickens is very easy to provide and with the right routine, you can clean drinkers before you refill them by using a small washing up brush

Series of products to serve the poultry farm fully, click the name to learn more

1. Steel structure poultry house, opening type for hot countries and close type for cool countries

2. Poultry hatching equipment’s capacity of eggs up to 120,000+ to be hatching house

3. Chicken rearing cage and equipment of layer, day old chicken, brooder, broiler and chicken parents

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8. Chicken manure cleaning and drying equipment to control the water content in chicken manure between 10% and 40%

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How to ensure quality drinking water

1. Apply water sanitization

In order to maintain water quality, it is advisable to use some form of water sanitization. The most common method uses chlorine, dosed either into a holding tank or directly through a dosing machine into the water in the house. Town water is usually chlorinated to a level of 3 ppm at the point of entry into the house. However, by the time water reaches the last drinker in the house, this may have reduced significantly depending on cleanliness and any organic matter in the pipes. It may be advisable to increase the level of chlorination on farms to offset this possible loss in efficacy

2. Test water quality regularly

Water should be tested frequently in order to ensure that its quality is stable, and that dosing equipment is functioning correctly. To do this, water should be collected from the farthest point of entry into the house, the last drinker. The degree of water sanitation, or lack of it, varies considerably across the globe, from sophisticated systems in some developed countries to no sanitation at all in several developing countries

3. Check for biofilm

In many parts of the world the levels of hardness, dissolved solids in the water, are quite high, which increases the ph to the upper end of acceptable levels. These salts, especially calcium or magnesium salts can form to deposit it in the water pipes which can ultimately reduce the level of the water flow. Additionally they can also encourage the build-up of biofilm in the pipes by providing attachment sites for bacteria to lodge. Biofilm is a living colony of microorganisms comprising bacteria, algae, fungi and even protozoa. This living colony is protected by an accumulation of filamentous proteins excreted by some of the bacteria, which over time can further reduce the flow of water through the pipes. The different types of pathogens found in biofilms are quite extensive 

4. Thoroughly clean the water system between flocks

Thorough cleaning of the water system between flocks is strongly recommended, using products that can remove both the biofilm and any lime-scale present. This often requires a two-strategy approach with a product such as hydrogen peroxide to remove the biofilm, and an acid product to remove the lime-scale in hard water areas. The build-up of biofilm can be reduced during production by regularly flushing out water lines. This should be done under water pressure of between 1.5 and 3.0 bars (20 – 40 PSI). Flushing of water lines should be carried out at least once per week, and more often in hot climates to ensure good results. This will reduce the risk of parts of the biofilm breaking loose in the water pipes and causing an obstruction in the drinker valves, or releasing undesired pathogens into the water supply. Any remaining residues of water treatment should be removed immediately after the treatment by flushing the system

5. Aim for the optimal ph. Level

When chicks hatch, they have an immature gut, and the production of acids in the proventriculus and gizzard is reduced in the first seven to fourteen days. Experimental work showed that the ph level of the proventriculus ranged from 5.2 at day one to 3.5 at day 15, with a linear reduction between hatching and day ten of age. Similarly, the ph in the gizzard dropped from 3.5 to 3.3 between day one and day ten, then stabilizing at a ph of 3.3 at day 15. Care needs to be taken when acidifying water to ensure that the correct amount of acids is applied to reach the desired ph. of 4.5 of the drinking water. Failure to do this can result in either over-acidification of the water, which can hinder water intake and damage the equipment, or an under-acidification, which can then provide an energy source to the bacteria residing in the water line

Principles

1. Ample quantity

Water volume and availability are important. When water use on a poultry farm is examined, the water used by the evaporative cooling system during hot weather can be as much as three times greater than water consumed by the birds. Therefore, when digging wells and determining how much water is needed by the farm, the equation should include evaporative cooling pads, fogging nozzles, bird water consumption and the number of poultry house, pipe sizing should be adequate to supply both the evaporative cooling needs as well as the drinking water. The water pressure must be high enough at the well to ensure 60 psi at the house (1 psi = 0.069 bar). In most cases, this means that water pressure at the well will be 10 to 20 psi higher depending on the location of the well and its orientation to the house. While 60 psi at the house is desirable, note that the pressure going to the drinker lines may be different and the drinker manufacturers’ guidelines should be followed to prevent water line regulator damage

2. Water meters

Most houses have water meters on the drinker line. Some farms have the water meters wired into the environmental controller, which can monitor daily water consumption and keep a history from a flock. The use of multiple water meters can provide additional information that can be utilised by producers in the daily management of the house and farm. While having the water meter hooked to the controller is easy and provides accurate water consumption data, it is not a necessity as daily recording of the water meter reading can provide similar information. It is wise to monitor water consumption daily, because sudden increases or decreases can indicate issues with either the birds (environmental stress, disease) or the water system (leaks, air locks, water restriction due to residue build-ups)

3. Regular maintenance of water troughs

Regular maintenance of good drinker line management during and in between flocks can improve both drinker and bird performance while extending equipment life. Care must be taken when running products through the drinker line to ensure that none of the internal parts are damaged and that no microorganisms are able to thrive. Before applying any water treatment a water test should be conducted. Application of treatments to control microbial growth, such as chlorine, can cause precipitants to form in water that has high iron or manganese concentrations. This will clog filters and possibly result in leaky drinkers, neither of which will be good for bird performance. Test wells routinely to ensure that water quality will not affect drinker function. By taking some time to do these steps, broiler and drinker line performance should be optimised

4. Quality of drinking water

How to keep fresh drinking water is a frequently asked question. Healthy layer chicken great influence their eggs quality. Safety food can be traced back to the healthy rearing way, based on this. Two water lines ensure the sufficient water, especially in summer. Chicken drink water by peck nipple in the water lines, material of faucet is stainless steel. There is no water splashing and leaking, thus bird house keep dry and clean. Chicken nipple drinker is more convenient to maintain or replace

5. Water vaccination

Water is also the medium of choice for administering live vaccines to chickens. This method is applied whenever possible as it has a markedly reduced stress factor for the chickens, as well as a lower cost of administration. Vaccination is always best carried out in the morning when the birds have had a natural period of water deprivation overnight, and will be less stressed compared to inducing thirst through a physical deprivation later in the day. The early morning is also the natural time for the birds to eat after the night, so they will eat and drink more readily at this time

Benefit of using acidification to purify the water

1. Use of acidification prevents bacteria from reproducing

Most pathogenic bacteria are Gram negative and as such are sensitive to acidic environments, which have a bacteriostatic effect. When a chicken is drinking twice the quantity it eats, the acids in the drinking water can have a beneficial effect in the crop, reducing pathogenic development. Many pathogens are stable and not increasing. However, pathogenic bacteria will start rapidly multiplying once the ph goes above ph 5, peaking at ph 7 to 8 while Gram negative bacteria are sensitive to acids, they also have an in-built protection against water-soluble agents in the lipopolysaccharide outer membrane of their cell wall. This limits the passage of antimicrobial agents into the cell wall, thereby giving them a degree of protection

2. Acidification does not affect in feed probiotics 

Many of the probiotics rapidly gaining popularity in poultry production are Gram-positive. They are either lacto-bacilliales, lactic acid producing bacteria, or sporulated bacillus bacteria, which are much less sensitive to acidic environments. As a result, acidifying drinking water has no impact on probiotic products in feed. If probiotics are administered in the drinking water via a dosing machine, and only one dosing machine is available, water acidification should be stopped during the time the probiotics are administered, and then recommenced once they have been consumed, a similar approach should be taken when vaccinating through the water supply. If the vaccine is applied directly into the header tank, this will have no detrimental impact on the probiotics, but the water should not be acidified when vaccinating

3. Use of acidification helps to keep lime scale and biofilm at bay

Acidification of the drinking water can also reduce the build up of lime-scale in the drinker lines, which in turn will also reduce the levels of biofilm due to a lower level of bacterial contamination. This will not negate the need to clean the drinker lines between flocks, but it may help prevent blockages or leaking drinkers caused when biofilm breaks loose within the pipelines, affecting drinker function

4. Acidification can help early protein digestion

Acidity also plays a major factor in the transformation of pepsinogen to pepsin, which is essential for protein digestion. Lysine digestibility in day-old broilers is 78%, but rises to above 89% by 14 days of age. Therefore, acidification of the water may benefit early protein digestion by slightly reducing the buffering of the feed passing from the crop to the proventriculus

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Frequently ask questions

Q: What can I do to carry out a proper water treatment？

A: Before applying any water treatment, ensure that a text is conducted to know the ph. Level of the water

Q: What are the necessary things I can do to improve my birds drinking quality？

A: Regular maintenance of good drinker line management during and in between flocks can improve both drinker and bird performance while extending equipment life