NAE production uncovers water quality challenges
I rarely get on a soap box, but I’m going to make an exception in this case. As an industry, if we’re going to continue with “no antibiotics ever” (NAE) production, we have to know the quality of water our flocks are drinking. We can no longer assume that just because we have water, it’s good, safe water that’s fit for chickens to drink. NAE production is tough enough to manage even when all is going right. If you have water issues — minerals, a bacterial load or the pH is off — it’s even tougher. We need to KNOW what’s in it and whether we need to clean it up or not.