Flushing the water lines is a necessary tool to keep your water as healthy, fresh, and clean as possible. While it might be a little tedious or time consuming, especially if you have a large operation, it can pay off big time in the end.
Regular flushing helps to remove dirt or debris from the water lines and keep the nipple drinkers from being blocked. This ensures all your birds have access to all the water they need to turn feed into food.
During the hottest parts of the summer, flushing replaces the warmer water in the lines with fresher, cooler water. It encourages birds to drink more frequently and helps them regulate their body temperature more effectively.
Flushing will help clean out biofilms from the watering lines, too. Biofilms can harbor bacteria that cause severe illnesses, and limiting their emergence means birds are more productive.
How often should you flush?
To keep your water as drinkable as possible, we recommend flushing the water lines every day. If that isn’t feasible for your operation, try to do it 1-3 times per week. You should ALWAYS flush the lines immediately after running any additives through the water lines. Residues left behind by vaccines, medications, vitamins, or other water soluble additions can cause rapid biofilm development.
How long do you flush for?
It’s recommended that you flush for 1 minute per every 100′ of watering line. But go ahead, do it a little longer.
