During the start-up period of your broilers, it is important that they get enough nutrients. Think, for instance, of copper and zinc: these minerals are important building blocks for good intestinal development during the first week of life. However, without a good water intake, optimal development is not possible.
A good water intake is important
In order to guarantee a good water intake, it is important to take a few aspects into account. The most well-known condition is that there is always sufficient water available for the chicks. Depending on the age of the chicks, the house climate and the actual water intake will vary, which has consequences for the water quality. Therefore it is our advice to feed the drinking lines from the middle. This halves the flow length of the drinking line, which has a positive effect on the equal drinking pressure at the front and back of the line and the degree of warming.
Why is this important?
But why is this important? In many stables, we see drinking lines that are too long, which means that the system pressure and the flow rate gradually decrease. Possible negative consequences are that the drinking water heats up excessively, that oxygen enters the pipes and that blockages can occur due to excessive biofilm formation. In addition, the higher water temperature (whether or not combined with the presence of biofilm) will have a negative effect on drinking water quality because warm water is more sensitive to bacterial growth.
KEEP YOUR DRINKING WATER LINES AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE. THIS PREVENTS LARGE DIFFERENCES IN THE DRINKING WATER PRESSURE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND LAST NIPPLE.
To prevent such problems, it is important that stagnation in the pipes is prevented and that you have the option of flushing the drinking lines. This can be done manually, but there are also several systems that do this automatically. Interim cleaning with disinfectant also helps to keep the drinking water lines clean.
Nutritional supplements
To provide the chicks with the right building blocks, feed supplements are often dosed in the drinking water. In practice, however, we see that the dosing technique does not function optimally, as a result of which the maximum yield from the supplements is not realised.First of all, the right choice when purchasing equipment is very important. In the past, mechanical dosing pumps (water-driven) were often chosen, but nowadays we see a strong increase in the use of electric membrane pumps. The main reason for this is that an external water meter is used with an electric diaphragm pump. This is more accurate at a low flow rate so that the dosing pump doses the supplement better. In addition, an electric diaphragm pump is less sensitive to light pollution, making it more maintenance-friendly.
Optimus makes the difference
It is important that an electric dosing pump is set to the correct working pressure. In practice, this does not always happen and as a result, many pumps deviate and the dosing is incorrect. Therefore, check whether the pump is set correctly or, even better, use a dosing pump that is not dependent on the pressure in the drinking water system.
Providing sufficient and clean drinking water with the corresponding nutrients requires a lot of attention and precision. As an entrepreneur, checks on equipment and water quality are not something you want to be doing every day. We can support you in this or even relieve you of it.
Please contact us for the possibilities. You can reach us by calling 0499-425 600 or sending an e-mail to mailto:info@kanters.nl
