Investigations on microbiological quality of ground, tap and drinking water in an animal stock in relation to drinking management and a treatment with chlorine dioxide

In a unit for fattening turkeys, microbial quality of water from different sources (ground water, tap water as well as drinking water and deposits out of drinking bowls)were analysed. In particular, changes in these parameters according to water treatment with chlorine dioxide as well as different cleaning intervals of the bowls were of interest. Drinking water treatment with chlorine dioxide (1.41 mg/l in tap water) led to significantly reduced counts of aerobic bacteria in tap water in the whole fattening period (log: 1.11 versus 2.92) whereas in the drinking water counts were only reduced in the first four weeks of fattening (log: 4.83 versus 6.81). Counts of coliforms in drinking water were significantly lower in the whole fattening period (log: 2.64 versus 3.58), in the deposits of the drinking bowls in weeks one to four (log: 7.47 versus 8.53) when chlorine dioxide was used. Drinking water treatment had no effect on counts of yeasts and moulds. An influence of different cleaning intervals of the bowls on microbiological counts was not observed. Zoonotic agents (Salmonella, Campylobacter sp.) could not be detected. In general, counts of bacteria in drinking water and the deposits in the drinking bowls were significantly higher than in tap water. In open drinking systems the deposits in the bowls play the major role with regard to microbiological water quality. In periods of low water consumption (young animals) short cleaning intervals of drinking bowls as well as drinking water treatment might be beneficial.

Vollversion deutsch