General information about water and nipple drinking systems
Today, the global poultry industry is witnessing the use of the latest findings and new technology to provide the best breeding conditions to achieve ideal results in different flocks. In the meantime, extensive and constant research is being conducted on water distribution systems.
On average, a broiler chicken consumes about 5.9 liters of water during a breeding period. So, in a 20,000-piece hall, broilers drink nearly 200 cubic meters of water during a period.
Water consumption of broilers
| Age | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| مل لە هەفتەیەکدا | 225 | 490 | 730 | 1100 | 1300 | 1800 |
Water used in the halls
Another important point is the chemical composition and microbial load of the water used in the halls. The water used must be free of all types of bacteria, including coliforms, salmonella, and shigellosis. Especially in well water located around agricultural lands that use animal manure and the contamination with coliforms is very high. The use of a chlorination device around the water used in these areas is absolutely mandatory. Because these bacteria will damage the digestive system of the bird and on the other hand, the bacterial origin of the biofilm inside the nipple pipes is these same bacteria.
When washing the nipple lines, the speed and intensity of the water flow inside the pipe are important. It is a rule that the appropriate pressure for washing the nipple lines of the hall is 90 meters. The water pressure must be at a level that it runs the entire length of the line and exits it within 3 minutes so that the so-called flushing operation can be carried out effectively. It is better to wash all lines with water pressure every week. In addition to washing the inside of the nipple lines, washing and disinfecting the inside of the nipple bowl is also very important because it causes the rapid spread of disease from one bird to another. When vitamins and water-soluble electrolytes are used, these substances act as food for bacteria and biofilm.
Effective compounds in eliminating biofilms
Using compounds based on hydrogen oxide, which can clean all lines and nipple bowls due to their strong oxidizing properties. Calcium hypochloride in drinking water at a ratio of one PPM, if the percentage is higher, will damage the nipple drinking system. When using acidifiers, for example, if the pH drops from 7 to 3, the cleaning effect of biofilms increases ten thousand times and only the instructions must be followed carefully during use so as not to damage the nipple system. The use of organic acidifiers, despite lowering the pH, does not cause any corrosion in the nipples.
The use of citric acid as a weak acid can be somewhat cleansing. Peracetic acid or acetic acid is effective on biofilm but is quickly neutralized by biofilm catalase. The use of bleaching compounds such as Vitex is not recommended at all as it only acts as a superficial disinfectant and causes damage to the drinking system.
Standards required for chicken drinking water
|
Parameter in terms of PMM |
Desired level |
| Calcium | Less than 600 |
|
Total Suspended Solids or TDS |
Zero to 500 |
| Water hardness | Zero to 100 |
| Sulfate | Between 50 and 200 |
| Chloride | Less than 250 |
| Potassium | Less than 300 |
| Magnesium | Between 50 and 125 |
| Nitrate | Less than 10 |
| Sodium |
Between 50 and 300 |
| Iron |
Less than 0.3 |
| Fluoride | Less than 2 |
The optimum pH of water used by poultry farms
The optimum pH of water used by poultry farms should be between 6.5 and 8.5. If it is below 6, it will cause corrosion in the drinking system due to acidity, and if it is above 6.8, it will cause corrosion due to alkalinity, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it will cause the lack of absorption of many vitamins and damage to the bird’s digestive system. Inappropriate pH will also neutralize the vaccines used in the water. For example, if the iron in the water used is high, it will act as an oxidizing agent and cause the filters to clog and the nipples to water. Also, high levels of magnesium oxide will cause scale deposits on the filter, which will cause the pressure relief filter channels to clog.
Adjusting the height of the nipples based on the age of the birds is very important, and this height increase should be done every two days. In the first two weeks, the angle of the bird’s neck relative to the nipple line is about 45 degrees, and in the following weeks it will gradually increase to between 70 and 80 degrees. The main goal of raising broilers is to achieve the maximum possible growth rate along with uniform growth in chickens. To achieve the best growth rate of the bird, the bird’s digestive system must grow in the best possible way. If the bird’s digestive system is not well developed and is also exposed to harmful bacteria, it will cause the bird to not digest and absorb the nutrients in the diet and in the end we will not have good weight gain.
Water is the first thing that the chicken drinks upon entering the hall, so the hygiene of the nipple tubes is of great importance and they should be washed every week with hydrogen oxide-based compounds that generally clean the biofilm inside the tubes. Another important point is the temperature of the water used in the nipple lines. Due to the lack of water circulation in the nipple drinkers, the water temperature, especially in tropical regions, sometimes reaches more than 30 degrees. The best water temperature for birds is 22 to 24 degrees, so the temperature of the water used inside the nipple tubes can be reduced by using ice. A chiller can also be used to inject low-temperature water into the halls.
