Water on a large scale: treatment, lines, monitoring

Sizing

The peak requirement is calculated on the heaviest birds in the hot season: about 0.35 litres per broiler per day at the end of the flock, and up to 0.5 litres in strong heat; 0.25 to 0.3 litres per layer. For 30,000 broilers at the end of the flock: 10 to 15 m³ per day. The borehole and the pump must supply this volume in a few hours of operation, and the reserve covers two days (20 to 30 m³ here), raised to give steady pressure at the end of the line, or with a booster pump.

Each house has its own inlet valve and its own meter: without a meter, it is impossible to monitor consumption per flock, which is the earliest health signal.

Quality and analysis

An analysis of the borehole or well water once a year, and after any change (rainy season, new borehole): bacteria (coliforms), nitrates, iron, hardness, salinity, pH. Water loaded with iron stains and blocks the nipple drinkers; hard water scales up; water with a high pH makes chlorine ineffective; water contaminated with bacteria seeds every flock. The analysis is done by a laboratory (veterinary services, private laboratories) and guides the treatment.

Disinfecting continuously

Chlorine (hypochlorite or chlorine dioxide) injected by a dosing pump at the inlet of the reserve or of the line aims for 1 to 3 ppm of free chlorine at the end of the line (at the last drinker), measured with test strips or a small kit, every day. Below that, no effect; above it, the birds drink less. The pH of the water must stay between 6 and 7.5 for the chlorine to work (acidifier if necessary, dosed). On days of vaccination via the water, chlorination is stopped 24 hours before and resumed afterwards (level 3).

Alternatives or complements: stabilised hydrogen peroxide, organic acidifiers (they lower the pH and limit bacteria), filtration for iron and particles. The choice is made with the veterinarian or a water specialist, according to the analysis.

Cleaning the lines

• During the flock: flushing of the lines (open the end of the line until the water runs clear) every week and after each product has passed through; height and flow rate of the nipples checked.
• Between two flocks, house empty: high-pressure rinsing; descaling with a suitable acid to remove limescale and iron; rinsing; disinfection with a more concentrated chlorine or peroxide solution, left in contact for several hours; thorough rinsing until no product remains before the chicks arrive.
• The water tower is emptied, brushed and disinfected at every sanitary break, and stays covered (light = algae).
• Products (vitamins, vaccines, medicines) go through a doser (Dosatron-type pump) on the line of the house concerned, never into the shared reserve.

Monitoring

Every day, per house: meter reading, calculation of consumption per 1,000 birds, comparison with the day before and with the water/feed ratio (1.6 to 2). Every day: free chlorine at the end of the line and water temperature (aim for below 25 °C: reserve in the shade or whitewashed, lines buried). Every week: condition of the nipples and leaks. A table of these figures per house is the first page of a large farm's health dashboard.