Effects of drinking water pollution on poultry production

The reduction of drinking water in chickens is often the first sign of health problems and production decline. The impact of drinking water pollution on poultry production performance mainly includes the following aspects:

1. Increase the risk of “disease from the mouth”

During the entire poultry breeding process, if the drinking water system is not well managed, biofilm will be formed on the inner wall of the water pipe and cause the litter to be wet. Various pathogens will multiply and spread in the water line. At a suitable temperature, the number of bacteria in the drinking water can double every 20 minutes, which shows how fast the bacteria multiply. After drinking contaminated water, the chance of chickens ingesting pathogens in the body increases, destroying the balance of intestinal flora, affecting the digestion and absorption of nutrients, increasing the risk of intestinal diseases, and increasing the risk of “disease from the mouth”, thus affecting the breeding benefits.

2. Drinking water pollution produces biofilm, blocking pipes, resulting in poor water supply and reduced drinking water

When drinking water management is poor, biofilm is easy to form in the water line pipe. After the biofilm is formed, it is not only difficult to remove, but also becomes a culture medium for the reproduction of pathogens. Biofilm that has not been cleaned for a long time will block the pipe and cause poor water supply. If the amount of drinking water for laying hens is reduced, the egg production will decrease, the egg weight will decrease, and the eggshell will become thinner.

3. Reduced poultry production performance

Vodela et al.’s research shows that drinking contaminated water can affect the water intake, feed intake and production performance of broilers. At 49 days of age, the water intake of chickens drinking low-concentration and high-concentration contaminated water decreased by 14% and 55%, respectively, while the feed intake decreased by 18% and 47%, respectively. Correspondingly, compared with the control group, the average weight of chickens drinking low-concentration and high-concentration contaminated water decreased by 14% and 60%, respectively.

Ravindran et al.’s research found that drinking contaminated water can cause diarrhea in poultry, which in turn causes dirty feathers, leg inflammation and even lameness, reducing animal welfare. Reduced drinking water can also cause ovarian necrosis, true stomach inflammation, decreased egg production, and decreased egg quality in breeder chickens.