Water MANAGEMENT IN POULTRY

objectives

• To know about the functions and importance of water in poultry production.

• Water quality standards for optimum poultry production

• Factors affecting water consumption

• Water management tips.

INTRODUCTION• Water is a critical nutrient that receives little

attention until a problem arises.

• It is the cheapest nutrient for poultry having very expensive implications if not handled properly.

• Quality of water varies with the source, method of

storage and delivery system in practices.

• High levels of bacterial contaminants, minerals,

or other pollutants effects birds performance.

Water • Water born diseases like colibacillosis,

coccidiosis, salmonellosis, enteritis, ascitis, nephrosis, heapatitis

FUNCTIONS OF WATER• From the physiological perspective, water

consumed by the bird is used for,

– Passage of feed through the digestive system

– Digestion and absorption of nutrients

– Transportation of absorbed nutrients to different organs

– Facilitate enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body

– Elimination of waste and toxic substances through kidneys

– Body temperature regulation

– Lubrication of joints and organs

Water intake

• A rule of thumb a bird can consume twice asmuch water as the amount of feed consumedon weight basis

• It may increase three to four fold duringsummer stress.

FACTORS AFFECTING WATER CONSUMPTION

Feed consumption

• Water consumption is highly correlated to the amount of feed consumed by a bird.

• Commercial broilers consumed around 2 times to that of feed consumed.

• Age

• When age advances, the water consumption also increases, although consumption per unit weight decreases with age.

Environmental temperature • The important way of regulating body

temperature by the bird during summer is through evaporative cooling method.

• As birds pant for evaporative cooling of body, water is lost and needs to be replaced in order to maintain the body water balance.

• Water consumption in broilers increases approximately 7 per cent for each 0F increase in temperature.

Electrolytes • During heat stress, addition of electrolytes not

only to replenish those depleted, but also stimulate water consumption and thus have synergistic effect to control mortality.

• Water temperature • Any water temperature below the body

temperature of the bird will be beneficial during heat stress conditions.

• The water consumed will help to dissipate body heat.

WATER OUTPUT

• Birds lose water mainly through faeces, urine and respired air.

• Except Ostrich, birds do not urinate as such because the urine is mixed with the feces in the distal large intestine.

• The quantity of water excreted in the feces and urine depend upon the water intake.

• The water content of broiler excreta is about 60-70% . Majority of water is lost through faeces than urine.

• Birds have no sweat glands, and consequently evaporation of water through skin as that of animals is limited. Hence, the evaporative cooling of bird’s body during summer is mainly through respiratory tract.

WATER QUALITYColor Water is colorless, and any color in the water may

indicate an increased contamination level.

Turbidity Particles such as clay, silt, sand or organic matter in

suspension can cause the water to appear cloudy

or muddy. Turbid water can cause leaky nipples and

clog fogging nozzles.

Hardness Calcium and magnesium salts cause the water to be

hardened and can lead to scale and sludge buildup

within water lines. Hardness reduces the

effectiveness of soaps and disinfectants and

interferes with the administration of some

medications.

Iron (Fe)• Iron will stain almost everything it contacts, and it is a

common water quality issue.

• Recent studies indicate that iron in the water does not appear to affect poultry health, but some of the iron may form solid particulates such as iron oxide, which can lead to equipment problems.

• These small particles can cause leaky nipples and block fogging nozzle openings. Either of these conditions can have negative impacts on poultry production.

• Bacteria are more likely to thrive in water with high iron concentrations. As a result, biofilm buildup can occur, which can obstruct nipple drinkers and promote pathogen proliferation.

• Manganese (Mg)

• While manganese itself does not cause a negative effect on poultry health, like iron, it can form solid particulates that can cause leaky nipples and clog foggers.

• Nitrate-N (N)

• Elevated nitrate concentrations indicate decaying organic material. It has been correlated with poor oxygen use in animals, Presence of nitrate is a good indicator that water should be checked for bacteria.

pH

The pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity.

•A pH of 6.0 to 6.8 is preferred for broiler production, but birds can tolerate a pH range of 4 to 8.

•A pH range of greater than 8 could cause reduced water consumption.

• Alkalinity

• Caused by calcium carbonate, bicarbonate or sulfate. High alkalinity increases the buffering capacity of water.

• Total solids

• Total solids represent the total amount of solid material in both suspension and solution. Total solids are not directly linked to any poultry health issues, but equipment function and water delivery could be nega-tively affected by total solids, which could influence bird performance.

• Toxic compounds

• The amount will vary depending on the compound, but elements such as lead, selenium and arsenic should be kept below 1.0 ppm to prevent bird health problems as well as residues.

• Bacteria

• Keep bacteria levels to a minimum .

Physical quality

• Color, Taste, Odor and turbidity

• Drinking water should be clear, tasteless,odorless, and colorless.

• Reddish-brown color may indicate the presence ofiron

• blue color - copper.

• Hydrogen sulfide - rotten egg odor.

• Hydrogen sulfide may also combine with iron toform black water (iron sulfide)

• Taste can be affected by the presence of salts, anda bitter taste - presence of ferrous and manganesesulfates.

• Frothy water - more of organic matter.

• Turbidity - suspension of materials such assilt, clay, algae or organic materials in water.

• Levels of turbidity above 5 ppm result inunpalatable water and indicate surfacecontamination.

• Turbid water can be filtered to removeparticular contaminants and prevent cloggedwater lines.

pH• Low pH water can be unpalatable, corrosive to

equipment, and may have a negative impact on performance.

• High pH water is also unacceptable since it reflects high levels of calcium and magnesium, which can clog watering systems.

• Poultry accept water on the acid side better than they accept water on the alkaline side.

• normal 7.0-7.2 and 6.5 to 8.0 acceptable for poultry.

Total Dissolved Solids

• Total dissolved solids (TDS), or salinity, indicates levels of inorganic ions dissolved in water.

• Calcium, magnesium, and sodium salts are the primary components that contribute to TDS.

A GUIDE FOR DRINKING WATER QUALITY FOR POULTRY

Use the following table as a guide for drinking water

quality for poultry

Contaminant, Characteristic or

Mineral

Maximum Acceptable

Levels

Bacteria

Total Heterotrophic Bacteria 100 CFU/100 ml

Coliform Bacteria 50 CFU/100 ml

pH 6.0 to 8.0

Hardness 110 ppm

Use the following table as a guide for drinking water quality for poultry

Contaminant, Characteristic or Mineral Maximum Acceptable Levels

Naturally Occurring Compounds --

Calcium 500 ppm

Chloride 250 ppm

Copper 0.6 ppm

Iron 0.03 ppm

Magnesium 125 ppm

Manganese 0.05 ppm

Nitrate 25 ppm

Phosphorus 0.1 ppm

Potassium 500 ppm

Sodium 50 ppm

Sulfate 250 ppm

WATER MANAGEMENT TIPS

• Conduct water tests

• Each farm should have its well water tested. Water quality can change during periods of heavy rain or drought,

•

Flush water lines regularly

Perform a high pressure flush on water lines between each flock and after adding supplements through the medicator (i.e., vaccine, medications, vitamins, electrolytes, etc.).

• Change filters regularly

• Sediment and other particulates can cause leaky water nipples that can have negative effects on litter quality.

• Clogged filters restrict water flow to the drinker and cooling systems.

• In some cases, simple cartridge filters may not be adequate, such as for water with high iron. In those cases, consider other water treatments

Water sanitation and sanitizers

• Filtration, sedimentation, ozonization, UV treatment and chemical treatment.

• Chlorination is the best and cheapest.

• 5 to 8 grams of bleaching powder with about 35 percent available chlorine should be added to 1000 litres of drinking water and allowed to have minimum contact time of 60 minsbefore offering the water to birds.

• Normally bleaching powder is added at night to the water

• At the collection point residual chlorine should be 0.2 ppm

• Where storage facilities are not available, liquid chlorine preparations like chlorine dioxide, 5 percent sodium hypochlorite (sanitech), etc., may be used at a level of one ml per 10 litres of water.

• Iodophores containing 1.6 percent available iodine are also used as water sanitizers at the same dosage level.

• Products containing Quarternary ammonium compounds like quat, quatovet, encivet, sokrenaetc. may be used as water sanitizers as per the manufacturers’ specifications

• 50% H2o2, used at 1 ml/50 L.

Guidelines for Chlorination

• Do not chlorinate market age birds under extreme heat stress.

• Discontinue chlorination and administer powdered milk solution before vaccination to neutralize chlorine since chlorine kills vaccines.

• Use caution since chlorine solutions are acidic and often oxidize soft rubber.