How much pigs drink

Even when you do have a good water supply, if it contains high levels of minerals or bacteria, this too can reduce feed intake.

It can also cause problems such as diarrhoea, gastric ulcers and aggression. Do you know how much water your pigs consume in a day? In the farrowing pen, water was supplied via a drinking nipple or via a drinking cup.

After weaning water was supplied via a drinking nipple with drip cup. Suckling piglets The effect of extra water supply on creep feed intake - The first trial was to determine the effect of extra water supply on feed intake of piglets during the suckling period.

All litters had a drinking nipple in the farrowing pen. Half of the litters were supplied with extra water via piglet milk-drinking troughs from ca. In the same period a prestarter Denkapig Mini Start was fed. The results Table 1 show that although the piglets in the group with extra water supply had on average a lower birth weight, the creep feed intake was higher than in the group with only the drinking nipple. Growth of the piglets in the extra water group was also slightly higher, resulting in a 0.

It should be noted that these piglets were on average slightly older at weaning. Their water intake via the drinking nipple was not recorded, but the intake through the drinking troughs was on average 1.

Based on these results, it can be concluded that supplying extra water to suckling piglets results in a higher creep feed intake. Water is an essential part of many cooling systems.

Ambient temperatures above the optimal temperature range can compromise the pigs and they can quickly overheat if unable to expel their excess heat. Cooling will only be as effective as the surface area of skin that is wetted that is, spray cooling is more effective than drip cooling.

If you discover that the water supply has been turned off or the pigs have run out of water, talk to your vet immediately. They will assist you in treating and managing pigs that have had water deprivation or developed salt toxicity. Water: the forgotten nutrient for pigs.

Page last updated: Tuesday, 12 January - pm. Water: the forgotten nutrient for pigs The importance of water for pigs Water consumption by pigs Drinking systems for pigs. Last point Acknowledgement. See Also Heat stress in pigs. Share Tweet Share. Short URL. The water requirements are variable, with the need for water increasing when a pig has diarrhea or experiences warm or hot environmental conditions. Diets high in salt or protein or other ingredients whosebyproducts of digestion and metabolism are excreted via the kidney also increase water needs.

Lactating sows must have unlimited access to water if they are to produce milk adequately.