Poultry Water.pdf

Chlorination For Poultry Water Supplies

  Water: The #1 Nutrient

  Ask any veterinarian or feed specialist what the #1 nutrient is, and you may get a variety of answers.

  Poultry, However, will consume an average of twice as much water as any other substance.

  Water is critical for any animals health. but its importance is often overlooked when production problems arise There are a number of water-conditioning options, with water conditioners, filtration units, sequestering and sanitizing, being the most common. Because bacterial contamination is the primary concern in poultry production. the focus of this article is on water sanitation.

  Water systems can become contaminated either from groundwater sources or from the environment in the barn

It is possible for Coliform bacteria to enter well due to poor construction,shallow-ness of the well or abandoned wells in the area.

  However, the barn environment is by far the biggest threat for bacteria contamination.

Coliform bacteria is easily conveyed to the waterers by the birds during their daily activities.

  There are a number of ways to control bacteria. Chlorination. ozone, uv light. oxygeneration. and hydrogen peroxide have all been promoted to get this job done.

  However, only chlorine has a well documented biocidal residual.

Chlorine residual is the chlorine that stays active in the system to insure continual sanitation.

  Without chlorine residual, disease-causing bacteria are free to decontaminate the water system through the natural activity of the birds in the barn.

Disease such as bordeteilosis, coryza, blue comb salmonella, cholera, and intestinal tract enteritis can all be spread through the watering system. As these disease-causing bacteria are reintroduced to the watering system they die continually being sanitized by the chlorine residual. Without chlorine residual these bacteria would multiply unchecked.

LIVING ORGANISMS IN WATER

Recontamination of the water system In a poultry barn is a constant concern.

Every time a bird drinks. contamination is possible from coliform-type bacteria. Nuisance bacteria, such as iron or hydrogen sulfur bacteria may also be present from the well,

Coliform Bacteria

Coliform bacteria is the standard used in the well testing. Coliform is present in many warm-blooded animals as abnormal part of their digestive tracts. Its presence in a water supply is an indication that animal or human waste is making its way into the water 5Lp~ly. Coliform bacteria may have no detectable smell or taste. The Coliform itself may not be a problem, but is an indicator that other pathogenic bacteria may be present, causing diseases such as blue comb, coryza, bordeteilosis, salmonella, cholera and intestinal tract enteritis.

Because chlorine is a sanitizer, it will kill these bacteria if applied properly! In laboratory conditions, chlorine at 1ppm residual, takes 20 minutes contact time to achieve 100% kill of coliform bacteria. If the bacteria are exposed for less time or at a lower levels, they may still be present when the water is consumed.

However, in a poultry barn, the bacteria are introduced into the water on an ongoing basis.

Warm weather encourages the bacteria to increase at a dramatic rate. Maintaining a high free chlorine residual will keep these bacteria in check. Poultry producers maintain varying chlorine levels, but 4-5ppm of free available chlorine at the drinker is common.

The sanitizing power of chlorine is dependant on the ph of the water.

When the ph is 7 or below, chlorine acts predominantly as a sanitizer and will be very effective at killing bacteria. At 74, chlorine will act equally as a sanitizer and oxidizer, but as ph rises, the chlorine will act predominantly as an oxidizer. The most common forms of chlorine - sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach) and calcium hypochlorite (dry chlorine) which will raise ph of the water. gas chlorine (C12) actually lowers ph in most cases. Water that is at a ph of 7 or higher may need to be lowered for the chlorine to be at the optimum efficiency for killing bacteria

Nuisance Bacteria

Iron bacteria is most noticeable by the slimy, red coating it leaves in the water system. Severe cases can plug pumps, pipes and filters, increase operating costs and lead to premature pump failure Leaky waterers, red staining and low water pressure are common symptoms of iron bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide is a by-product of a sulfur-feeding bacteria and is noted by its distinct smell. Rotten egg. sulfur and sewer gas are common descriptions. Hydrogen sulfide may lead to decreased water consumption. It is also accompanied by a black, slimy accumulation that can cause many of the same problems as iron bacteria. When chlorine is introduced into the water lines, it:

1.   Kills the bacteria causing the problem.

2.   Oxidizes the iron into a filterable form.

3.  Breaks loose the slimy deposits coating the system.

The amount that breaks loose depends on how high the chlorine is and the severity of the problem. The level of chlorine at which any system should be dosed will depend on how the system reacts to the chlorine.

Algae and Pond Scum

Shallow welts and water drawn from ponds may be contaminated with surface runoff and biological debris from both plants and animals Ponds are particularly prone to this. since they contain numerous forms of life that can be drawn easily into the pump These contaminants can be filtered out physically, but the water should be sanitized for human or livestock consumption and for aesthetic and health reasons. Whether the contaminants are pathogenic or not can only be determined by a test. but these types of water sources are subject to many variables affecting their quality. This water can be used for poultry water supplies with proper sanitation. Filtration may be necessary, depending on the level of contaminants that are oxidized.