Jagadeesh N and Chanthirasekaran R
Kemin Industries South Asia Pvt. Ltd.
AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid – A Game Changer in Poultry Water Management
India has achieved significant progress in broiler production over the past few decades, recording an impressive annual growth rate of approximately 15%. In contrast, indigenous desi breeds remain largely non-descript and exhibit slow growth for meat production. These breeds are also highly susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, with Escherichia coli (E. coli) being a major pathogen that acts as both a primary and secondary disease-causing agent. Contaminated drinking water is the primary source of E. coli infection in poultry.
Water is the most essential nutrient for poultry health and performance, yet its quality is often overlooked. Clean, safe, and soft water is critical for digestion, nutrient absorption, and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Among water quality parameters, pH plays a crucial role in determining nutrient availability and maintaining a balance of microbes within the digestive tract. Therefore, continuous monitoring of water pH and coliform counts is necessary to ensure hygienic water delivery to birds.
To address waterborne disease challenges, acidification of drinking water has emerged as a cost-effective and practical approach. Acidification helps control bacterial contamination and biofilm formation in drinking systems, reducing birds’ exposure to harmful organisms and minimizing disease spread. Water disinfection during production is equally important for effective flock management. Thus, water acidification and sanitation form an integral part of a robust water management program, contributing to improved bird health and productivity.
AcidLAC™ W Conc Liquid is a potent antimicrobial acidifier used in poultry as water treatment for total gut health with the following benefits.
- Reduces microbial load in drinking water.
- Improves intestinal integrity.
- Decreases mortality.
- Improves performance.
- Removes biofilm and mineral deposits in waterlines.
- Compatible with antibiotics and no drug residues and withdrawal period.
AcidLAC™ W Liquid will help to improve the digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients in the feed by inhibiting microbes and improving growth performance. AcidLAC™ W Conc Liquid is a synergic blend of organic acids that reduces the water pH and hence improves gut acidification. By reducing the gut pH, AcidLAC™ W Conc Liquid promotes the growth of commensals like Lactobacillus and reduces the load of pathogenic bacteria in the gut, and it maintains gut eco-balance, which promotes growth of the bird and body weight gain, resulting in better FCR. Apart from aiding in the reduction of microbial count in water, organic acids improve protein digestibility by reducing microbial competition with the host for nutrients and endogenous nitrogen losses.
AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid is a synergistic combination of organic acids along with an antimicrobial compound, which helps to reduce the incidence of disease and lower the production costs to the customers. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid in improving water hygiene and the performance of desi (Asil) breeder chicks and growers, focusing on mortality, body weight, and coliform contamination.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid in improving water hygiene for desi (Asil) breeder chicks and growers under practical farm conditions in Tamil Nadu, India, with respect to mortality, body weight, and coliform contamination.
METHOD
The study was conducted in 2023 at a well-managed desi breeder farm in Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 14,429 desi breeder chicks were allocated to two experimental groups for a 12-week period, housed in open-sided, deep litter sheds under natural conditions. All birds received a breeder mash diet and ad libitum access to water throughout the trial.
Table 1: Dosage and trial details of experimental groups
| GROUP | DESCRIPTION | NUMBER OF BIRDS |
| Control | Breeder mash diet with NaDCC# tablet as water sanitizer for 12 weeks at 2 tablets/1000L of drinking water | 7,229 |
| AcidLac™ W Conc* | Breeder mash diet with AcidLAC™ W Conc Liquid as water sanitizer for 12 weeks at 250 ml per 1000L of drinking water | 7,200 |
Note: * AcidLac™ W Conc. Liquid is a potent antimicrobial acidifier used in poultry to purify the water from microbial contamination and to improve bird performance.
(#NaDCC- Sodium dichloroisocyanurate)
PARAMETERS MEASURED
- Livability – Assessed in terms of mortality %
- Uniformity – By average body weight
- Water Hygiene – By Coliform test in water
RESULTS
Results demonstrated that supplementation with AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid significantly improved mortality rates, body weight uniformity, and water hygiene compared to the control group
Impact on Mortality:
Over the 12-week trial period, the group receiving AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid exhibited a 1.1% lower mortality rate compared to the control group. Detailed chick and grower mortality data for both groups are presented in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Mortality % of experimental groups during the trial period
Uniformity (Body weight & CV%):
For the total trial period of 12 weeks, the AcidLAC™ W Conc. group had a higher body weight of 53g when compared to the control group. Body weight details of the AcidLAC™ W conc and control group are given as a graphical representation of body weight for both trial and control groups in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Body weight of experimental groups during the trial period.
Water analysis and treatment of water samples:
As a preliminary part of the trial, key water parameters like hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS) & pH of source water were analyzed, and the results are as follows:
- Hardness – 340 ppm
- pH – 7.6
- TDS – 460
The pH of the same water becomes acidic (pH 6.6) when treated with AcidLAC™ W Conc Liquid and is used for treatment group birds for drinking purposes. Similarly, the NaDCC tablet was used as a water sanitizer for the control group birds, and the pH of the water after adding the NaDCC tablet was 7.3.
Water samples were collected from different places, like tanks, pipelines, and nipples, and tested for coliform contamination by the qualitative method of analysis. Nipple water samples were collected randomly from different places of the sheds, like the front, middle, and end of the shed. Coliform test results for both AcidLAC™ W Conc and the control group are given in Table 2.
Table 2: Water Hygiene – Coliform Contamination Status in AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid vs Control
| Water Hygiene – Coliform Contamination status in AcidLAC™ W Conc Liquid and Control group | ||||||
| Age in Wks | AcidLAC W Conc group – Coliform status | Control group – Coliform status | ||||
| Tank | Pipeline | Nipples | Tank | Pipeline | Nipples | |
| 1 | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative |
| 4 | Negative | Negative | 1% positive | Negative | 2% positive | 18% positive |
| 8 | Negative | Negative | Negative | Negative | 18% Positive | 22% Positive |
| 12 | Negative | Negative | 3% positive | Negative | 8% Positive | 16% Positive |
DISCUSSION
The application of AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid in broiler breeder management demonstrated notable improvements in key productivity metrics, including reduced cost of production for growers and lower hatching egg costs, ultimately enhancing overall production performance and chick quality. Water acidification and sanitation with AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid resulted in a 1.1% reduction in mortality compared to the control group. Additionally, birds in the treatment group exhibited a 53g higher average body weight. Water analysis revealed that coliform contamination was nearly eliminated in the treatment group, whereas it persisted in the control group. Collectively, these findings indicate that AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid delivers superior outcomes across all measured performance parameters.
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that supplementation with AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid enhances the economic performance of broiler breeder birds by improving body weight gain, livability, and water hygiene. AcidLAC™ W Conc. Liquid serves as an effective antimicrobial acidifier for chicks and growers, supporting optimal pullet uniformity and overall flock health. Its use reduces the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract and promotes improved nutrient absorption, thereby contributing to greater productivity
References are available upon request.