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.
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Birds will spend less than one minute drinking, therefore, they should be able to consume the desired amount within this min- ute or perfor- mance will be reduced.
BY MARTIJN GRUYTERS, SENIOR TECHNICAL MANAGER, COBB-EUROPE
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- mance breeds. This is certainly important but what we must never lose sight of is the most crucial nutrient, which is water. Water consumption is nearly double the amount of feed con- sumed and plays a key role in the transfer of nutrients, the re- moval of toxins and heat dispersion, and is also involved in many chemical reactions. About 70% of the chick weight consists of water, 70% of which is intracellular and 30% is blood and interstitial cell space. Young growing birds will consume more water than they excrete due to the high de- mand for water by the developing organs. As birds get older, the intake will equal the water excretion but this balance can
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
16 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 2, 2020
PHOTO: COBB
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