Water quality and its effect on livestock: birds
Sci-Tech
Agriculture
The quality and supply of water to livestock is of primary importance to both the farmer and the animals themselves. It can have a significant effect on the health and performance of the animal, and so directly affects yield, productivity, and profitability—and not to mention animal welfare. However, it’s often overlooked for its importance in animal nutrition. A supply of clean, fresh water facilitates metabolic processes, chemical reactions, temperature regulation, and waste elimination from the body.
Better water quality also results in higher effectiveness of drinking water vaccines, as there is less bacterial contamination to compete with them. However, according to a study by CEVA Animal Health, published in Poultry World Magazine, up to 27% of poultry given drinking water vaccines had no vaccines in their system at all. This occurrence will lead to a drop in profitability for farmers due to the need to treat diseases before they adversely affect the flock or herd and impact productivity further. Water quality therefore needs to be improved not just for the overall welfare of livestock, but also to increase efficacy of vaccines.
In the past, vets and researchers were less concerned about water quality as it was not yet associated with health issues. Now that we have realized it is more important than we thought, it is valuable to learn about how water becomes contaminated, how water quality affects livestock, and what we can do to help.
How does water become contaminated?
There are many ways in which drinking water can become contaminated, including:
- An increase in temperature. This not only impacts water intake as livestock tend to avoid warmer water, but also creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
- Leaching mineral ions from the land into water, increasing its salinity or salt level. Different animals have different tolerances for salinity, and so levels need to be measured and lowered if needed to avoid loss of production and decline in animal health. Levels must also be managed and remedied to ensure full compliance with Animal Health guidelines.
- Toxicity caused by contamination with debris or animals, such as animal droppings, birds, sewerage waste or animal carcasses, can result in low production, disease, or death. This can be prevented by skimming the surface regularly to prevent debris from sinking.
- Contamination with heavy metals or chemicals such as pesticides can cause toxic effects or residue issues, and is caused by run-off, seepage, or spillage from arable land and industrial or sewage waste.
Water quality in birds
Drinking water quality for poultry is particularly important as, like us, around 70% of the bird’s body is made up of water, which is essential for biological functions. The birds also excrete water as part of the respiration process and, as such, a clean potable water supply must be provided.
In addition to affecting bodily functions, poor water quality influences the efficacy of vaccination and so water supplies should be free of bacterial and particulate contamination. This can affect water supply through drinker lines and limits the dose of vaccine received by the birds.
Contaminants and their effects
| Contaminant | Possible effects |
| Total viable count | General indication of levels of bacteria in water (checks at 22°c and 37°c are ideal) |
| Coliforms | Possible environmental contamination |
| E. coli | Leads to multiple native effects such as respiratory distress, weight loss and decreased egg production |
| Enterococcus | Linked to septicemia |
| Salmonella | Implications for the flock depending on the strain isolated |
| Heavy metals | Iron leads to increased biofilm formation |
| Suspended solids | Leads to blocking of drinker lines |
If the birds’ water supply contains the contaminants listed above, there are various systems available to improve the quality. Read part two of this series to find out more on the effects on pigs and cattle.
Meanwhile, today is the perfect time to contact Sci-Tech for more information on their mineral and potable water testing services, including full mineral bacteriological screen, potable screen, livestock bacteriology, farm water, livestock suitability and full chemistry water suite analysis. The results from these tests, which should be conducted on a regular basis, can then be used to treat drinking water.
For more information on how we can help you determine and improve your livestock drinking water quality, contact me on david.petrie-dolphin@scitech-labs.uk.com or 01588 672600.
References
Evaluating Water Quality for Poultry – Engormix
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