Fecal bacterial contamination in an animal is reduced by providing it with
drinking water containing a microbiocidally-effective amount of halogen-based microbiocide
resulting from mixing with water (A) a product formed in water from (i) bromine,
chlorine, or bromine chloride, or any two or more thereof, (ii) a water-soluble
source of sulfamate anion, and (iii) a water-soluble base; (B) at least one 1,3-dihalo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin
in which one of the halogen atoms is a chlorine atom and the other is a chlorine
or bromine atom, and in which each alkyl group, independently, contains in the
range of 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; (C) at least one 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dialkylhydantoin
in which one of the alkyl groups is a methyl group and the other alkyl group contains
in the range of 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; or (D) any two or more of (A), (B),
and (C).
