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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #360209
Research Project: Production and Processing Intervention Strategies for Poultry Associated Foodborne Pathogens

Location: Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit

Title: Evaluation of drinking water antimicrobial interventions on water usage, feed consumption, and salmonella retention in broilers following feed and water withdrawal

Author
item Harris, Caitlin
item Bartenfeld Josselson, Lydia
item BOURASSA, DIANNA - Auburn University
item FAIRCHILD, BRIAN - University Of Georgia
item KIEPPER, BRIAN - University Of Georgia
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/2019
Publication Date: 4/9/2019
Citation: Harris, C.E., Bartenfeld Jossel, L.N., Bourassa, D.V., Fairchild, B.D., Kiepper, B.H., Buhr, R.J. 2019. Evaluation of drinking water antimicrobial interventions on water usage, feed consumption, and salmonella retention in broilers following feed and water withdrawal. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 28(3):699-711. https://doi.org/10.3382/japr/pfz021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3382/japr/pfz021

Interpretive Summary: A series of experiments were conducted to determine if adding antimicrobials that target Salmonella: cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC a poultry processing chilling additive to reduce bacteria), hydrogen peroxide (HP a common household antimicrobial), and/or sodium bisulfate (SB, a poultry litter pretreatment to reduce bacteria) to the water drinker lines of market-age broiler chickens on water usage, feed consumption, and inoculated Salmonella retention during feed and water withdrawal. Experiments evaluated: Salmonella retention with CPC (Experiment 1), water and feed consumption with CPC (Experiment 2) or with CPC and HP (Experiment 3), Salmonella retention with HP (Experiment 4) or with HP and SB (Experiment 5). In Experiment 1, water usage in the 500ppm CPC treatment pens was only 14% (0.046 L/bird/day) of control pens (0.33 L/bird/day) and had no impact on depressing Salmonella retention. For Experiment 2, the water usage of broilers provided 100 to 500ppm CPC was depressed 38 to 72% compared to control. For Experiment 3, water usage for 100 ppm CPC and 500ppm CPC+1% HP pens were also significantly reduced, 48 and 96%, compared to the controls. Thereafter experiments with CPC were discontinued because the broilers would not drink water containing CPC. For Experiment 4, the number of Salmonella positive enriched crop samples was significantly lower for 50ppm HP+CA pens (17%+) compared to the control (100%+). For Experiment 5, water antimicrobial treatments did not differ significantly in Salmonella recovery from the control for both crops (65%+) and ceca (79%+). Neither cetylpyridinium chloride nor sodium bisulfate were determined to be effective interventions against Salmonella when added to drinking water for broiler chickens during feed and water withdrawal. In Experiment 4, 50ppm HP+CA appears to be an effective Salmonella intervention in crops while broilers remained on water during feed withdrawal; however, these results were not repeated in Experiment 5. Furthermore, antimicrobial treatments applied in the broiler growing house must maintain effectiveness during the period of water withdrawal and transport to the processing plant (4 to 8 hours).

Technical Abstract: A series of experiments were conducted to measure the effects of adding antimicrobials: cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), hydrogen peroxide (HP), and/or sodium bisulfate (SB) to water drinker lines of market-age broilers on water usage, feed consumption, and inoculated Salmonella retention during feed and water withdrawal. Experiments evaluated: Salmonella retention with CPC (Experiment 1), water and feed consumption with CPC (Experiment 2) or with CPC and HP (Experiment 3), Salmonella retention with HP (Experiment 4) or with HP and SB (Experiment 5). Experiment 1 water usage in the 500ppm CPC treatment pens (0.046 L/bird/day) was only 14% of control pens (0.33 L/bird/day) and had no impact on Salmonella retention. For Experiment 2, the water usage of broilers provided 100 to 500ppm CPC was depressed 38 to 72% compared to control. For Experiment 3, water usage for 100 ppm CPC and 500ppm CPC+1% HP pens were also significantly reduced, 48 and 96%, compared to the controls. For Experiment 4, the number of Salmonella positive enriched crop samples was significantly lower for 50ppm HP+CA pens (17%+) compared to the control (100%+). For Experiment 5, water antimicrobial treatments didn’t differ significantly in Salmonella recovery from the control for both crops (65%+) and ceca (79%+). Neither CPC nor SB was determined to be effective interventions against Salmonella when added to drinking water during feed and water withdrawal. In Experiment 4, 50ppm HP+CA was an effective Salmonella intervention in crops while broilers remain on water during feed withdrawal however, these results were not repeated in Experiment 5.