V.'j'm V i .I'n 'Vi irn it/ 1 i, - n - r-( "t'cnr 1 D6-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 18, 1999 EVALUATING WATER QUALITY Paul H. Patterson Associate Professor Drinking water is the least expensive nutrient we can provide to poultry, yet high quality water is often taken for granted. Water is also the most important nutrient. It is critical for many biological functions including the regulation of body temperature, aiding diges tion, metabolism, and the transport and elimination of wastes. On a daily basis water is con sumed in large quantities. Poultry normally drink about two times the weight of feed consumed on a dai ly basis. Consumption is influenced, however, by the age of the bird, strain, rate of production, environmental temperature, type of feed etc. Depending on the age and sex of a bird, 55 to 75 percent of its body is water. The egg at 65 percent is mostly water as well. Water is a natural solvent con taining salts of calcium, magne sium, sodium chloride, sulfates, and bicarbonates. Water quality is characterized by its taste, acidity, alkalinity, odor, color, turbidity, salinity, pH, hardness, anions, cations, herbicides, and pesticides. A definition I find especially good for poultry says that high quality water contains inclusions which promote vitality, and lacks those causing morbidity and mortality. In recent times researchers have attempted to correlate poultry per formance with water inclusions. A study from Arkansas looked at more than 300 commercial broiler flocks and correlated bird perfor mance with the concentration of various water inclusions (Barton et HEAVY DUTY HOOF TRIMMING TABLES Endorsed by the International Hoof Trimming School of Wisconsin FOUR MODELS TO CHOOSE 1. PORTABLE 2. STATIONARY 3. 3-POINT HITCH Berkelmans Welding RR 7, AYLMER, ONTARIO, CANADA NSH 2R6 (519) 765-4230 al., 1986). The significant results suggested body weight was posi tively influenced by water cal cium, magnesium, hardness, bicar bonate, and dissolved oxygen. Water nitrate (NO 3 ) levels had a negative effect on body weight Mortality was increased with increasing calcium and potassium levels. Higher calcium and nitrate levels increased condemnation rate. Feed conversion (feed/gain) was improved with higher calcium levels and made worse with greater magnesium. While the results of this work were all highly signific ant for those flocks in Arkansas, similar evaluations in other reg ions of the country have resulted in different findings. Therefore, many experts now feel regional water quality differ ences will have enormous effects, and simple, single inclusions may not mean a great deal when it com es to poultry performance. Rather, multiple-inclusions may be acting together to influence flock performance. Work by Zimmerman in 1998 on the Delmarva Peninsula sug gested broiler performance could be influenced by multi-element type inclusions. Taken together bird age, and water hardness, pH and dissolved oxygen had a signif icant positive effect on body weight (correlation coefficient = 0.91), along with low total bacteria counts. Feed conversion was improved when total bacteria counts were low, potassium levels were elevated and when the birds were at a younger age (correlation coefficient = 0.65). Mortality and condemnation rates were lower among younger birds, and when their drinking water had low levels of nitrates, bicarbonate, and total bacteria. Mortality rate was also 4. 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Some toxic substances may be expressed in smaller units such as parts per billion (ppb). Others have unique units of measure such as radon (pica curries per liter - pCi/ L), or bacteria, pH, hardness, con ductance or turbidity. The EPA has established maxi mum contaminant levels (MCL) as being harmful to human life. Com pounds in this group include atra zine, benzene, lead, and radon. But one concern to both humans and poultry are nitrate levels. Water nitrates can come from natural sources, and are a soil by-product of agricultural fertilization or human or animal waste. The prim ary concern with young babies is blue baby syndrome caused by a reduced ability of the blood to car ry oxygen. Nitrate is converted to toxic nit rite (NO 2 ) by GI tract bacteria. The toxic nitrite binds blood hemoglo bin displacing oxygen that might otherwise supply oxygen to the tissues. The MCL for humans is 10 mg/L nitrate-N. Early research in the 1960 s sug gested that chicks, turkey poults, and hens could handle much high er levels of nitrate and nitrite than humans under controlled research conditions when not confounded with other contaminants. Chicks could consume water with up to 200 and 300 ppm nitrite and nitrate with little effect on hemoglobin, mortality, or feed or water intake. However, growth and liver vita- Feeder Wagon with Headlocks Zimmerman adjustable headlocks for animals 10 months or older. Mounted on a 5' x 20' or 24' trough with an adjustable tongue. All headlocks finished with a zinc rich undercoat & TGIC polyester powder topcoat Advantages: Zimmerman Headlocks •2 • Spring loaded neck bar for easy removal & adjustment • Individual lock on each yoke for retaining individual animals Call or Write For Additional Information & the Name of Your Nearest Dealer min A levels were depressed with 200 ppm nitrite. Poults appeared to be more sensitive; when given 100 to 200 ppm nitrites, they showed a reduced intake and growth with depleted liver vitamin A and beta carotene stores. Hens could handle up to 200 and 300 ppm nitrite and nitrate with no effect on rate of lay, egg quality, intakes, or liver vita min A or beta-carotene levels. However, more recent work by Grizzle et al., (1996,1997a,b) sug gests that when nitrates are taken together with other common water contaminants they can have pro found effects at much lower levels. In one study with boilers given water with only 5.2 mg/L nitrate-N and low pH (5.75), feed and water consumption, body weight, spleen, liver and thymus weights were all reduced compared to control birds. In another study with boilers given nitrate water plus E. coli or Enterobacteria (500 and 100 col ony forming units (CFU)/mL), body weight was depressed along with elevated thymus and bursa weights, suggesting the birds were mounting an immune response to the bacteria. In a third study, broil er breeders were given water with 10.4 mg/L nitrate-N along with 100 CFU/mL E. coli. This combi nation of contaminants resulted in reduced egg production, while nitrate alone reduced egg hatcha bility and vitamin A stores. These pieces of evidence would suggest that poultry are sensitive to low nitrate levels when taken together with contaminating bacteria or low pH levels. Secondary MCL listed by the EPA are general indicators of water quality. These include pH, which should be in the normal range of 6.5 to 8.5. Outside this range the water may be so corro sive that other contaminants will be solubilized and carried to your birds. Total coliform bacteria should be less than 1 organism per 100 mL, with any counts suggest- Added Value With Our 2 Coat Process! —1 Five step metal preparation including iron phosphate conversion coating to enhance adhesion & prevent undercoat corrosion ,2 Zinc rich epoxy powder undercoat 3 TGIC polyester powder top coat baked at 400° to fuse coats forming a cross link molecular bond Paul B. Zimmerman, Inc. 295 Woodcorner Rd. • Lititz, PA 17543 • 1 mile West of Ephrata 717/738-7365 Farmco Feeder Wagon • 15" implement wheel (6 bolt) • 2 jacks on front corners for added stability ing some form of cither human or animal fecal contamination of the water supply. Total dissolved sol ids should be no more than 500 mg/L, as this is indicative of grea ter hardness and dissolved iron, manganese and other unnecessary inclusions. Sulfate levels should be less than 250 mg/L as they can impart a rotten egg taste and laxa tive effect to the water. Nuisance contaminants include chlorides, copper, iron, manganese and iron bacteria. They can impart cither salty or bitter taste, or black, blue/ green or orange stains to your sinks and other fixtures. Other concerns with water inclusions in the poultry house are: • Chloride, pH, and hardness having a negative impact on your ability to deliver vaccine effectively •Hardness and salts reducing the foaming and cleaning ability or soaps and detergents Significant inclusions that can impact the nutrient requirements of your birds, including sodium, chloride, calcium, anions and cations. In summary, water quality var ies greatly by region of the country and season of the year. Sample your water quarterly until you have an understanding of seasonal var iation, then sample at least annual ly thereafter. Consider primary MCLs first (nitrate-N - 10 mg/L). Then consider general indicators of water quality including: pH range 6.6 to 8.5; colifonns and tot al bacteria