- Water is the most important nutrient for birds and its quality can impact their health and performance. Contaminants in water like bacteria, minerals, chemicals can cause diseases in birds. - The ideal drinking water should be clear, odorless, tasteless and colorless with a pH of 6.5 to 7.2. Total dissolved solids should be less than 1000 ppm and turbidity less than 5 ppm. - Various tests can detect contaminants in water including tests for bacteria, metals, chemicals and minerals. Maintaining water quality requires proper sanitation and treatment such as filtration, chlorination or ozonization.

1. Water management

2. Introduction
• Water is the most important nutrient
• A rule of thumb a bird can consume twice as
much water as the amount of feed consumed on
weight basis
• It may increase three to four fold during summer
stress.
• Quality of water varies with the source, method of
storage and delivery system in practices.
• High levels of bacterial contaminants, minerals,
or other pollutants effects birds performance.

3. Water
• Water born diseases like colibacillosis,
coccidiosis, salmonellosis, enteritis, ascitis,
nephrosis, heapatitis

4. Physical quality
• Color, Taste, Odor and turbidity
• Drinking water should be clear, tasteless,
odorless, and colorless.
• Reddish-brown color may indicate the presence of
iron
• blue color - copper.
• Hydrogen sulfide - rotten egg odor.
• Hydrogen sulfide may also combine with iron to
form black water (iron sulfide)
• Taste can be affected by the presence of salts, and
a bitter taste - presence of ferrous and manganese
sulfates.

5. • Frothy water - more of organic matter.
• Turbidity - suspension of materials such as
silt, clay, algae or organic materials in water.
• Levels of turbidity above 5 ppm result in
unpalatable water and indicate surface
contamination.
• Turbid water can be filtered to remove
particular contaminants and prevent clogged
water lines.

6. pH
• Low pH water can be unpalatable, corrosive to
equipment, and may have a negative impact on
performance.
• High pH water is also unacceptable since it
reflects high levels of calcium and magnesium,
which can clog watering systems.
• Poultry accept water on the acid side better than
they accept water on the alkaline side.
• normal 7.0-7.2 and 6.5 to 8.0 acceptable for
poultry.

7. Total Dissolved Solids
• Total dissolved solids (TDS), or salinity,
indicates levels of inorganic ions dissolved in
water.
• Calcium, magnesium, and sodium salts are the
primary components that contribute to TDS.

8. Suitability of water with different
concentration of total dissolved solids
TDS (ppm) Comments
Less than 1,000 No serious burden to any class of poultry.
1,000 to 2,999 Satisfactory for all classes of poultry. They may cause
watery droppings (especially at higher levels) but should
not affect health or performance.
3,000 to 4,999 These are poor waters for poultry, often causing watery
droppings, increased mortality, and decreased growth.
5,000 to 6,999 These are not acceptable waters for poultry and almost
always cause some type of problem, especially at the
upper limits, where decreased growth and production or
increased mortality probably will occur.
7,000 to 10,000 These waters are unfit for poultry but may be suitable for
other livestock.
More than 10,000 These waters should not be used for any livestock or poultry.
SOURCE: National Research Council, 1974. Nutrients and Toxic Substances in Water for Livestock and Poultry, National
Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.

9. Hardness
• Presence of bicarbonates (temporary hardness, can be
removed by simple boiling) or chloride or sulfates of
calcium and magnesium in the water (permanent
hardness).
• Excess ca & mg may cause scales buildups within pipes
and drinkers, leads to stoppage and leakage.
• Hardness is not commonly harmful to poultry unless
certain ions are present in toxic amounts.
• High levels of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) may cause
an increase in water consumption, wet droppings, and
a drop in production.
• Extreme hardness may diminish the effectiveness of
water-administered medications, disinfectants, and
cleaning agents.

10. Detection of metallic and non-
metallic impurities
• Simple field test kits are available for detection of
impurities like
• Nitrate (addition of zinc dust to reduce nitrate to nitrite)
and nitrite (sulphanilic acid and alpha naphthalamine
solution),
• Chloride (using silver nitrate solution),
• Ammonia (using Nessler solution),
• Sulfate (10% Barium chloride solution),
• Phosphate (dilute nitric acid and ammonium molybdate
solution),
• Fluoride (ferric chloride solution)
• Iron and copper (using potassium ferrocyanide solution),
• Lead (potassium iodide solution).
• TDS can be detected with portable TDS meters.

11. Biological contamination
• Presence of indicator organism like coliform is
generally related to fecal contamination of
drinking water.
• Ideally, bacterial contaminants should not be
present in drinking water and measurable
levels should be zero.

12. Bacteriological quality of water
Quality Indicator
Levels
considered
average
Maximum
Acceptable
Level
Maximum
Acceptable
Levels Indicate
Treatment
Options/Comme
nts
Total Bacteria
(TPC)
Total Coliforms
Fecal Coliforms
0 CFU/ml
0 CFU/ml
0 CFU/ml
1000 CFU/ml
50 CFU/ml
0 CFU/ml
 Dirty system,
may taste bad
and COULD have
pathogens in the
water system
 Water with >50
total coliforms or
any faecal
coliform has been
in contact with
human or animal
faeces
 Clean the
system between
flocks with
approved
sanitizing
cleaners and
establish a daily
water sanitation
system when
birds are present
 Shock
chlorinate as well

13. Mineral Contaminants
• Non metalic impurities
– Nitrite - reduction of nitrate – organic matter and
dead animals
– Nitrate
– Chloride – universal constituent of water
– Sulphate
– Sulphide
– Phosphate
– Fluoride

14. Contamiantion of water
• Metallic impurities
– Iron – 0.3 ppm – iron bacteria
– Copper – 0.3 ppm
– Lead - 0.1-0.2 ppm lead pipe, paint, fuel etc
– Zinc – excess chloride and nitrite may act on zinc
to disolve it 15 ppm
– Arsenic – sheep dip, weed killer

15. Contaminant or
characteristic
Level considered
average
Maximum
acceptable level
Remarks
Nitrogen compounds
Nitrate 10 mg/l 25 to 45 mg/1 Levels from 3 to 20 mg/l may affect performance.
Nitrite 0.4 mg/l 4 mg/l
pH 6.8 to 7.5 ---- A pH of less than 6.0 is not desirable. Levels below
6.3 may degrade performance.
Total hardness 60 to 180 ---- Hardness levels less than 60 are unusually soft;
those above 180 are very hard.
Naturally occurring chemicals
Calcium 60 mg/l ---- Levels as low as 14 mg/l may be detrimental if the
sodium level is higher than 50 mg/l.Chloride 14 mg/l 250 mg/l
Copper 0.002 mg/l 0.6 mg/l Higher levels produce a bad odor and taste.
Iron 0.2 mg/l 0.3 mg/l Higher levels produce a bad odor and taste.
Lead ---- 0.2 mg/l Higher levels are toxic.
Magnesium 14 mg/l 125 mg/l Higher levels have a laxative effect. Levels greater
than 50 mg/l may affect performance if the sulfate
level is high.
Sodium 32 mg/l ---- Levels above 50 mg/l may affect performance if the
sulfate or chloride level is high.
Sulfate 25 mg/l 1250 mg/l Higher levels have laxative effect. Levels above 50
mg/l may affect performance if magnesium and
chloride levels are high.
Zinc ---- 1.50 mg/l Higher levels are toxic.
SOURCE: Adapted from T. A. Carter and R. E. Sneed, Drinking Water Guidelines for Poultry, Poultry Science and Technology Guide No. 42, North
Carolina State University

16. Iron : in excess of 2 ppm causes multiplication
of certain types of bacteria.
• May causes water leakage problems.
Dissolved oxygen: normal 7 to 14 ppm
• Excess of 14 ppm may indicate algae growth
and pollution

17. Water sanitation and sanitizers
• Filtration, sedimentation, ozonization, UV
treatment and chemical treatment.
• Chlorination is the best and cheapest. 5 to 8
grams of bleaching powder with about 35
percent available chlorine should be added to
1000 litres of drinking water to maintain a
chlorine level of 1 to 2 ppm at delivery.
• A minimum contact time of one hour should
be given before offering the water to birds.

18. • Where storage facilities are not available,
liquid chlorine preparations like chlorine
dioxide, 5 percent sodium hypochlorite
(sanitech), etc., may be used at a level of one
ml per 10 litres of water.
• Iodophores containing 1.6 percent available
iodine are also used as water sanitizers at the
same dosage level.
• Products containing Quarternary ammonium
compounds like quat, quatovet, encivet,
sokrena etc. may be used as water sanitizers
as per the manufacturers’ specifications.

19. Guidelines for Chlorination
• Do not chlorinate market age birds under
extreme heat stress.
• Measure residual chlorine at the waterer to
maintain at least a 1.0 ppm level at the drinker
mid-house.
• Discontinue chlorination and administer
powdered milk solution before vaccination to
neutralize chlorine since chlorine kills vaccines.
• Use caution since chlorine solutions are acidic
and often oxidize soft rubber.

20. THANK YOU