MANAGEMENT ▶▶▶
Maintain pressure
on water quality
Water is often the forgotten nutrient but plays a very
important role in unlocking genetic potential. Water
quality and management of the system supplying
water to the birds is vital to ensuring optimum flock
performance.
BY MARTIJN GRUYTERS, SENIOR TECHNICAL MANAGER, COBB-EUROPE
A
s long as we are rearing broilers for meat produc-
tion, nutrition is a subject which the industry will
continue to discuss. The quantity of protein, ener-
gy and vitamins administered play an important
role in unlocking the genetic potential of today’s high perfor-
Birds will spend mance breeds. This is certainly important but what we must
less than one never lose sight of is the most crucial nutrient, which is water.
minute drinking, Water consumption is nearly double the amount of feed con-
therefore, they sumed and plays a key role in the transfer of nutrients, the re-
should be able moval of toxins and heat dispersion, and is also involved in
to consume the many chemical reactions. About 70% of the chick weight
desired amount consists of water, 70% of which is intracellular and 30% is
within this min- blood and interstitial cell space. Young growing birds will
ute or perfor- consume more water than they excrete due to the high de-
mance will be mand for water by the developing organs. As birds get older,
reduced. the intake will equal the water excretion but this balance can
PHOTO: COBB
16 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 2, 2020
be disturbed due to external factors (diseases, etc). This arti-
cle will discuss the importance of water quality and how to
maintain it, along with drinker management.
Water quality
In general it can be said that if the water is not good enough
for us to drink then it won’t be good enough for our birds to
drink either. Several factors will affect water quality, with the
source, bacteria, pH level, hardness and TDS (total dissolved
solids) being the most important. When the water supply to a
poultry house is not properly managed it may harbour chal-
lenges, such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa. A poultry
drinking system offers a perfect environment for bacteria. Es-
pecially during the start of a broiler flock with high brooding
temperatures, the temperature of the water can easily and
rapidly increase. Together with the slow movement of the
water in the system (when consumption is at a low rate) this
creates an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. The tem-
perature of the water can be easily checked using a combined
temperature/pH measuring device. Temperatures above
26.7°C will significantly reduce water intake and subsequent-
ly feed intake. Ideally, water temperature should be below
20°C but always aim to keep it under 25°C.
Water samples should be taken at least twice a year (once
during the summer and once during the winter) and tested
for microbial as well as mineral content. Samples should be
taken at the source and at the end of the drinking line. Make
sure the water is fresh when sampled so let it run for a few
minutes before taking the sample. Use a sterile container
with no airspace and samples should reach the lab within
24 hours of sampling. Table 1 can be used as a guideline for
evaluating the lab results.
The pH (power of hydrogen) value also has a major impact on
water quality and consumption. Pure water has a pH of 7 and
a scale change of 1 represents a ten-fold difference. If pH lev-
els get above 8, water consumption will be reduced with all
the attendant adverse effects on feed intake and flock perfor-
mance. If the pH drops below 6, vaccines and medication
supplied in the drinking water will be negatively affected. If
the pH drops to less than 3, the water will be unpalatable and
have a corrosive effect on the equipment. And, last but not
least, the pH level also impacts the efficacy of sanitation.
Water hardness is a measure of the presence of dissolved
PHOTO: COBB

Flow rate is an important factor in water sanitation.

minerals. The main elements affecting the hardness of water

Table 1 – Guidelines for water quality.
are: calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. High levels of
these elements will result in the deposition of limescale or Contaminant, mineral or ion Level considered average Maximum acceptable level
sludge in the drinking system and can significantly reduce Bacteria 0 CFU / mL 100 CFU / mL
the volume of pipes and nipple flow rates. It will also affect Total bacteria
medications, disinfectants and sanitisers, making them less Coliform bacteria 0 CFU / mL 50 CFU / mL
effective. Sodium-based water softeners can reduce the hard- Acidity and hardness 6.8 to 7.5 6.0 to 8.0
ness of water, however, this is not recommended in poultry pH
houses as birds are very sensitive to high levels of sodium in Total hardness 60 to 180 ppm 110 ppm
the water. Sodium levels in water used for broiler production Naturally occurring elements 60 mg / L
should always be less than 50 mg/litre. Calcium (Ca)
Chlorine (Cl) 14 mg / L 250 mg / L
Water sanitising Copper (Cu) 0.002 mg / L 0.6 mg / L
A very common method for sanitising water in broiler houses Iron (Fe) 0.2 mg / L 0.3 mg / L
is chlorination. When chlorine is added to drinking water a Lead (Pb) 0 mg / L 0.02 mg / L
chemical reaction takes place with the formation of Hy- Magnesium (Mg) 14 mg / L 125 mg / L
pochlorous Acid (HOCl). This HOCl is a weak acid and will fur- Nitrate 10 mg / L 25 mg / L
ther dissociate into chlorine (OCl-). The HOCl is 80-300 times Sulfate 125 mg / L 25 mg / L
more effective as a sanitiser compared with OCl- and the lev- Zinc 0 mg / L 1.5 mg / L
el of HOCL will depend on the pH of the water. In general a Sodium (Na) 32 mg / L 50 mg / L
lower pH will produce more HOCl so chlorination as a

▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 2, 2020 17

MANAGEMENT ▶▶▶

water systems have a very high risk of bacterial contamina-

tion, while organic and foreign matter more easily gain access
to the water. This risk has been greatly reduced with the de-
velopment of closed water systems. A closed system will also
make it easier to control water temperature, minimise water
spillage (drier litter), is easier to clean and will provide a bet-
ter medium for the transport of medication and additives to
the birds. Unfortunately, water is difficult to check visually in
a daily inspection. Never assume that the water quality is
good. Always: test it, treat it and flush it.
Whatever system or equipment is used, it can only be suc-
cessful if it is properly managed. A nipple system with a 360°
nipple for easier access is preferred. Calculate the number of
nipples at the rate for 8-12 birds (low/high flow). Any com-
promise on this number will affect water intake and subse-

PHOTO: COBB
quently feed intake and growth. The height of the drinkers
will depend on the age of the flock. To start with the beak of
Never assume the bird must have a 35 to 45 degree angle to the floor for
that the water sanitising tool will be more effective. Effective chlorination easy access. As the birds grow this angle can increase to 75 to
quality is good. requires a pH<7. 85 degrees to avoid spillage. If the drinking height is not cor-
Always: test it, A relatively easy way to test the disinfection potential of wa- rect this can be seen immediately from the behavior and wa-
treat it and ter in a broiler house is to use an oxidation reduction poten- ter consumption patterns of the birds. It is important to test
flush it. tial meter (ORP meter) which measures in millivolts (mV). The the amount of water that the nipples provide. This will be de-
higher the value, the better the disinfecting power of the termined by the type of nipple, the pressure in the waterline
chlorine added to the water. A low value indicates a heavy or- and the cleanliness of the system. A simple way to test this is
ganic load which will reduce the biocidal efficacy of chlorine. with a nipple flow meter. Table 2 can be used as a reference
The optimum level to kill E. coli and viruses is 650mV, while for water flow rate based on the age of the birds.
Salmonellae or Clostridia need a slight increase of 750mV. At Birds will spend less than one minute drinking, therefore,
levels of <250mV, chlorine will not be effective. they should be able to consume the desired amount within
this minute or performance will be reduced. Incorrect water-
Drinker systems and management line management will greatly impact the performance of a
Many factors will influence the consumption of water in a flock and a 20% water intake reduction can already result in
broiler house (e.g. age, breed, house temperature, physical 200 gramme reduction in weight at 21 days. If water con-
structure of the feed). A major factor will be the type of sumption decreases at any point during the bird health cycle,
drinking equipment installed in the broiler house and how environment and management should be re-assessed.
many units are available to the birds (i.e. number of birds per The main risk with closed water systems is the build-up of a
drinker/nipple). biofilm which typically is not visible. This biofilm is a thick
Over the last 20 years drinking systems for broilers have been mucus (slime) secreted by bacteria which builds up on the in-
further improved and fine-tuned but the major change from side of a waterline if the system is not managed properly. This
a hygiene point of view was a switch from open water sys- biofilm can cause flock health challenges as it harbours bac-
tems (bell drinkers) to closed systems (nipple lines). Open teria such as E. coli and salmonella. Biofilms are also difficult
to remove and require mechanical action to remove them
from the water system. They may also block nipples or cause
Table 2 – Guidelines for water flow
them to leak. A robust cleaning and sanitising programme
rate in nipple drinkers.
during a turnaround is recommended to prevent biofilms.
Age in weeks Flow rate Between flocks, it is recommended that the waterline be
ml/min flushed and sanitised for biofilm control. Flushing is only ef-
1 40 fective with a water flow of 2 m/s (1.5 to 2 bars). A proven
2 50 product to remove a biofilm from a drinker system is hydro-
3 60 gen peroxide as it will break down the biofilm and is non-cor-
4 70 rosive for the drinking system. Hydrogen peroxide is effective
5 -> 90 against bacteria, fungi, algae and viruses when used in the
proper dosage and in good time.

18 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 2, 2020