Rosehill Flock Health Handbook

To Flush or not to flush..its not really a question

This sequence of articles covers the use and implementation of on farm efficiencies to boost flock health and production. We first encountered the flushing systems in 2017 and over the last few years we’ve really seen what a positive impact they have on bird health and reducing the workload of optimal water quality control. Rosehill work closely with the Lubing team to supply and train in the use of these systems.

The lubing Autoflush must be accurately calibrated in order to work effectively as a tool to assist vaccinations, once calibrated, vaccinating is quick and effective, as a single press of a button will accurately prime all of the water lines in a 16k shed in approximately 15 minutes. When correctly set using the timer, you are able to flush the lines and ensure the birds are drinking fresh water immediately upon waking, which ensures minimal bacteria and increased water consumption. E.coli, specifically, is a mesophile, which is an organism which optimally grows between 20◦C-45◦C. Most interestingly, it only takes 12 hours for water to be classified as stagnant.

In most modern laying sheds, you will a find an assortment of technological innovations, designed to make life easier and tasks more efficient. Unfortunately the use of these items is not often well demonstrated and most critically, the positive potential impact they can have on hen health. The water system is no longer just a source of water, its also a delivery route for live vaccines, wormers, vitamins and Exzolt. Also by flushing the water, the water temperature on freshly flushed water is lowered, which helps significantly with production during warm weather periods.

Water quality is very important to flock health, with each bird consuming 200ml per day, and each 63g gram egg containing 47.8ml of water. The difficulty with maintaining good water quality comes down to the behaviour of the water within the lines, as the system is an enclosed system, with no circulation. The design of the nipple lines also leads to areas of “dead” water, which become areas where biofilm can develop. While the use of sanitisers is important and effective, to a point, the ability to clean the water line under pressure and manually replace all of the water within the system has shown significant reductions in mortality and E.coli prevalence. The correct use of a flushing system is akin to pouring a fresh glass of water each day, instead of topping up the same glass for 70 weeks.

The Lubing Autoflush works on the principle of using a control unit to fire an electrical impulse to a pressure regulator valves, this valve then fully opens, which allows the water pressure to be raised significantly. The water is driven out through a hose at the far end of the water line which is fitted with a non return valve, and leaves the shed through a pipe fitted in the side of the shed.

It costs approximately £135.00 to flush daily on a 16,000 bird unit for 64 weeks, making it the most cost effective possible way of reducing mortality and improving production.

As an example, please see the examples below of water lines with various systems in place;

1. Borehole water, with no sanitiser or flushing system

2. A water line which has been cleaned with Hydrogen Peroxide intensive treatment

3. A system fitted with an autoflush and sanitising system

Calibration of Auto-Flush System Procedure

Purpose:

The purpose of calibrating an Auto-Flush System is so that the correct amount of water is flushed through, no less, no more as both have their consequences. Flushing too much can mean vaccine is flushed outside, meaning there may not be enough vaccine for all the chickens, flushing too little can mean water is trapped at the end of the line so vaccine doesn’t reach the end leaving the chickens towards the end of the shed unvaccinated.

1. Prepare the Aviblue mixture of 8 Litres of water with 2 caps of Aviblue

2. Place the Dosatron on 2% and place the filter and line from the Dosatron into the bucket.

3. Turn the Dosatron on by shutting off the bypass.

4. From the home menu press on the Lubing Touch Control panel press the menu button in the bottom left corner of the screen.

5. Use the arrows to move down to ‘Flush parameters’ then press ‘OK’

6. Now on the ‘Set flush parameters’ press ‘OK’

7. Scroll down to whichever line needs calibrating next and press ‘OK’ when on the right line. (in this example we are calibrating line 1)

8. As you have your chosen line press ‘CAL’.

9. Then press ‘OK’ and the line has started to calibrate.

10. Now ideally you would have one person by the end of the lines and one by the Lubing Control Panel, once the person at the end of the line see’s blue come through then they would communicate back to the person at the control panel to press the ‘OK’ button.

This needs to be repeated for every line in each house to ensure there isn’t waste vaccine and each line is calibrated properly. As each line isn’t the same.

For more information and to arrange the fitting of a flushing system, or for parts, Rosehill are a Lubing Distributor that offer excellent pricing and service.