Do you know your water?

Water is the number one nutrient a pig needs – and it often gets overlooked. This whole newsletter could be written about the importance of water and the water delivery system for your pigs, but this article will touch on some basics in wean-finish production.

Availability

A rule of thumb is to have 1 drinker per 12-15 pigs in wean-finish production. There are a variety of drinker types and styles available for pigs, but some common ones would be cups/bowls, gate mounted or swinging nipples, and pan waters. More drinkers are not always better – extra cups/bowls or pans often go unused and become a toilet. Ensure that the height of the water source is easy for pigs to access. Water waste is something to consider as well, especially if you use the water system for medication or vaccination – a cup/bowl will waste less water compared to a nipple. The water pressure in lines should typically be around 20psi, but you may need to adjust based on flow rate at the drinker. A simple test to measure flow rate can be accomplished by counting how many seconds it takes to fill the cap from a spray paint can. The cap should fill in ~6 seconds (~24oz/min) for finishing pigs and in ~12 seconds for nursery pigs. If flow isn’t what you expect – investigate pinch points such as water medicators or any place the water line reduces in size. Using small hoses on your medicator, like wash machine hoses, will reduce flow rate. Keep track of water intake daily – a drop of 25% often indicates a health challenge setting in.

Quality

The quality of the water in pig barns is often neglected. An understanding of the mineral content, pH, and any bacterial contamination is good to know. Excess minerals (sulfates, nitrates/nitrites, chlorides, calcium, sodium, etc.) in the water combine to create total dissolved solids, which can create water and water line issues if in excess concentrations. The pH tells you the acidity/alkalinity of your water. Too acidic water can damage your water system and too alkaline water can create scaling and may promote E. coli diarrhea. Bacterial contamination, measured by coliform concentrations, should be limited to 50 colony forming units per milliliter. These parameters can be measured through water quality testing, which should be done regularly. Routine water line cleaning is a good practice to keep up on as well. Using a peroxide-based treatment will help break down biofilms built up in the water system, and a chlorine-based treatment will help reduce pathogen load. If you use the water system for vaccination or medication, it is important to understand the water quality to ensure effectiveness of treatment.   

If you have questions about the water your pigs are drinking, call your Suidae veterinarian today!