Purpose:
The poultry house environment is made up of many living organisms, not just the chickens we care for. Some of these living organisms can create health threats for our chickens. Many bacteria, viruses, molds and fungi can cause mild to extreme health issues. As our industry is continually challenged to reduce and remove antibiotic usage from our production systems, we have seen an increased challenge by these environmental organisms.
One of the primary challenges in water is from the bacteria Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas can create respiratory and enteric issues in chickens and can be a primary cause of chick mortality. Antibiotics can help chicks overcome early infection, but these have been removed from our hatchery systems.
We are finding Pseudomonas in waterlines that have and have not been treated with a waterline sanitizer. The question is: “Why is this bacteria living in our water systems even with treatment?”
Like many bacteria, Pseudomonas love water, heat and biofilm. Many times our water systems have biofilms that are hard to break-up. In many cases we only get the surface of the biofilm and actually expose layers below that contain Pseudomonas. Also, Pseudomonas are difficult to remove from water nipples, even when the nipples are triggered.
There are a few recommended methods below. It is recommended to test waterlines before and after treatment to know what organisms are in your systems. If you find little or no contamination(less than 10 colonies), use the Easy Attack. If you find a moderate amount of challenge (10-20 colonies), use the Moderate Attack. If you find high bacterial (30+ colonies), fungi or mold challenges, especially Pseudomonas, use the High Attack method. Suggested waterline sanitation programs to attack Pseudomonas and other pathogens:
