Good drinking water is very important to keep animals healthy. But what is good drinking water? Averroes Laboratories (ARL) tests various aspects of water, such as the microbial count (colony forming units), Fungal analysis, content levels of various minerals and Chemical tests including pH, TDS, hardness. But the main test carried out by ARL is the one for suitability as poultry and livestock drinking water. Water testing at ARL is based upon on three pillars:
- water must be available at the location where the animals drink: the pipes cannot be clogged up, the flow of the water from the nipple must be good if the animal wants to drink;
- water must not be harmful – this speaks for itself, as the production, growth and health of the animal must not endangered;
- water must be tasty, i.e. the animals are willing to drink the water.
Nowadays the quality of products meant for human consumption (meat, eggs, milk) is being increasingly monitored. These products must be of a high and unsuspicious quality. The water the animals drink must not threaten the quality of the meat. Averroes Laboratories (ARL) analyses water designated for poultry and livestock drinking water. The results show to what extent the above mentioned criteria are met.
Three important reasons why water is submitted for laboratory analysis are;
- Quality control of an existing well
- Quality control of a new well
- Symptoms
Drinking water tests
The main thing a livestock farmer wants to know about the water at his farm, is its suitability as livestock drinking water. If the water is not suitable, ARL gives advice on options for improving the quality. For water testing, Averroes Laboratories (ARL) has created what it refers to as drinking water packages. A water sample is subjected to many tests: e.g. chemical, and bacteriological tests. Individual tests for water samples are possible as well, and individual packages can be created too. Water testing is a fine example of the versatility of Averroes Laboratories (ARL). The results of various laboratory departments that test the water are combined. That gives a complete picture of the suitability as drinking water. The advice that is linked to the results is specific for every submitted sample.