Jamaican poultry farmers are being urged to look beyond traditional watering methods and re-evaluate how drinker systems are managed, with Ziggity Systems Vice-President Rob Steiner warning that current practices may be costing producers both in bird health and operational efficiency.

Speaking at the Caribbean Poultry Association’s 8th International Technical Symposium and Exhibition in Kingston recently, Steiner made a case for overhauling how poultry watering systems are designed and assessed, challenging the long-held industry reliance on static flow rates and catch cups.

“Flow rate is a human measurement — based on our fingers, not a bird’s beak,” said Steiner, who noted that birds drink dynamically, lifting their heads to swallow, and that forcing high-pressure water into drinker systems only results in waste, wet litter, and higher ammonia levels.

In Jamaica, where poultry remains the most consumed source of protein and the industry accounts for approximately $309 billion in economic value according to latest studies, managing litter quality and feed efficiency is important. Water waste not only drives up utility bills but also leads to higher ventilation and bedding costs, Steiner said.

The local industry produces close to 140 million kilogrammes of broiler meat annually, and good flock health has direct implications for food security and national output.

According to Ziggity’s internal studies and third-party data, birds raised in wet litter environments experience up to 23 per cent worse feed conversion compared to those reared in friable litter. The resulting ammonia levels not only impact performance but also increase birds’ vulnerability to respiratory diseases, eye irritation, and footpad lesions.

Steiner explained that the problem lies in how farms typically assess water delivery — relying on flow rate testing devices that were designed around human physiology, not the natural behaviours and instincts of birds. He reasoned that while high-flow drinkers may appear efficient in tests, birds drinking from them often end up spilling more water than they ingest, especially when the drinker lines are set too low or pressure is not properly regulated.

“Even a high-end, pathogen-free water line becomes irrelevant if the water pools in a cup, turns dirty, and becomes the actual site of contamination,” Steiner said, referencing tests that found E coli counts exceeding 1.6 million colony forming units (CFU) per 100 ml in catch cups, compared to zero detected in the drinker lines themselves. CFU is a microbiological term used to estimate the number of living bacteria or fungi in a sample, such as poultry litter.

His presentation included a live demonstration comparing high and low flow drinkers, showing that birds do not necessarily drink more from high-flow systems. In fact, both systems delivered similar outcomes in terms of water volume consumed — undermining the assumption that more static flow equates to better hydration or performance.

“Ask yourself,” Steiner urged attendees, “are you managing the flow rate — or is the flow rate managing you?”

In addition to performance issues, poor watering setups contribute to animal welfare concerns, which are becoming more relevant as Jamaica’s poultry exporters eye opportunities within Caricom and other regulated markets. “Good paws [chicken feet] aren’t just for export readiness. They’re an indicator of litter and bird health across the board,” Steiner said, pointing to data that showed 66 per cent of birds in no-cup systems scored perfect zeroes for footpad lesions, compared to just 12 per cent in cup-equipped setups.

Steiner also framed the conversation within the broader issue of water stewardship, especially as resource management becomes a bigger focus across the agricultural sector. “If we’re letting water fall to the floor because birds can’t ingest it fast enough, we’re not being good stewards of that resource — and we’re certainly not helping our cost structure either,” he said.

The push from Ziggity comes at a time when more local producers are modernising their operations. The CB Group is among those already incorporating Ziggity lines into its production systems. While Ziggity does not list an exclusive local distributor, Jamaican farmers can reach out to CB for potential access or contact the company directly via its online distributor locator.

The Indiana-based company specialises in enclosed, closed-system watering lines that aim to minimise waste while supporting bird health and biosecurity.

Rob Steiner, vice-president of sales at Ziggity Systems, demonstrates how the company’s enclosed watering system supports natural bird drinking behaviour while reducing water spillage and ammonia build-up, during his presentation at the Caribbean Poultry Association’s 8th International Technical Symposium.