Investigation of the Effect of Three Commercial Water Disinfectants on the Performance and the Physicochemical Characteristics of the Gastrointestinal Content in Broiler Chicks

Numerous commercial products are used in poultry farms to maintain water quality and prevent pathogen dispersion, but their actual impact on broiler chicks’ performance and gut health remains underreported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of three commercial poultry water disinfectants on broiler chicks’ performance and the physicochemical characteristics of gastrointestinal content when continuously added to drinking water. A total of 144 one-day-old Ross® 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four treatment groups: Group A (negative control), Group B (0.01–0.025% v/v Product A [H2O2 + silver complex]), Group C (0.01–0.04% v/v Product B [H2O2 + peracetic acid]), and Group D (0.05–0.1% w/v Product C [peroxides]). Body weight (BW) was measured weekly, while average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for different time periods. Additionally, on days 15 and 40, the pH of the crop, gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, and cecum contents was assessed, while the viscosity of jejunal and ileal contents were also measured. Statistical analysis revealed that all water disinfectants significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced BW, ADWG, and ADFI during the early growth phase, followed by either recovery or stabilization in the later stages. Drinking water disinfectants induced significant changes in intestinal physicochemical parameters, including reductions in pH of the content in the jejunum (p ≤ 0.05) during early growth and increased gizzard pH (p ≤ 0.05) and digesta viscosity (p ≤ 0.05) at later ages. These findings suggest that continuous water disinfection can suppress broiler chicks’ performance during the early stages of growth while significantly altering the physicochemical characteristics of gastrointestinal content. Further research is needed to investigate the mechanism that underlaying these results and optimize dosage schemes that balance pathogen control with the health, welfare, and performance of broilers.