WATER CHARACTERISTICS OF POULTRY FARMS IN SHIRAZ SURROUNDINGS

Water for poultry production must be free from pathogenic organisms and chemical substances which cause adverse physiological effects on the chickens. Therefore, microbiological, physical and chemical analyses of water in the poultry production farms in Shiraz area was carried out. Water samples were taken from water wells of 22 broiler farms in shiraz suburbs and surroundings and subjected to a number of biological, physical and chemical analyses. In general, 16 of the sites were contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Klebsiella and Proteous organisms were also detected from 5 and 9 of the contaminated sites, respectively. The presence of E, coli indicated the contamination of well waters with sewage. How ever, Salmonella organisms were not found in any of the water samples; therefore, salmonellosis cases reported on the farms, might be originated from sources other than drinking water. The pH values of all the water samples tested were in acceptable range (7.6-to 8.1) therefore, the water pH could not affect viral vaccine. Twenty three percent of the water sources had EC values higher than 1.25 dS m^-1 @ 25° C. Total dissolved solids of these water samples were also more than 1600 mg 1^-1. Water analyses of all the sites showed calcium contents more than the standard levels. Potassium (K^+) concentration was low in all the water samples. Zinc (Zn^2+) ion was higher than the standard level in 32% of the samples. Chlorine (Cl-l) ion level was not higher than the standard level in 21 water sources. Also in one case, the bicarbonate content was more than 500 mg 1^-1. Carbonate (CO3^2-), ferrous (Fe^2+), ferric (Fe^3+), manganese (Mn^2+) and nitrite (NO^2-) ions were not detected in the water samples. But NO3ʹ was detected in all the samples, indicating probable contamination of the water supplies by household sewage and chicken manures. Twenty seven percent of the water samples contained more than the recommended sulfate level which in conjunction with Na^+ and Mg^2+ caused chronic diarrhea in the chickens. The hardness of the water samples was more than the recommended level(180 mg 1^-1 equivalent to CaCO3), consequently all the sites needed water softening and chlorination due to high contamination with household sewage.