Key points of pig drinking water management, which pig farmers cannot ignore
Drinking water management for pigs
Water is an important component of the animal body; about 70% of the animal body is composed of water. Water is also an indispensable and irreplaceable nutrient for animals. The processes of feed digestion and absorption, nutrient transport, metabolism and excretion of feces and urine, growth and reproduction, and lactation all require the participation of water. Water can maintain physiological regulation and regulate osmotic pressure, and can also maintain the normal morphology of cells. Therefore, the supply of water is indispensable for the life activities and production of livestock and poultry.
Water has the following main functions in the animal body. If about 10% of all water in the body is excreted from the body, it will be difficult to sustain life.
① Maintain the normal morphology and function of tissue cells and promote metabolism;
② Help the digestion and absorption of various ingested nutrients;
③ Transport nutrients and hormones to all tissues of the body through body fluids (blood, lymph, etc.);
④ Maintain the acid•base balance in the body;
⑤ Excrete waste products and toxins generated by metabolism from the body through excretion;
⑥ Be excreted from the body as moisture in exhaled air, sweat and urine, assisting in body temperature regulation.
Compared with other animals, pigs are animals that need to drink a large amount of water. From a physiological perspective, the osmotic pressure of pig urine is much lower than that of humans, cats, dogs and other animals (Table 1). Therefore, pig urine is light yellow in color and has a weak odor. The kidneys of pigs cannot reabsorb water that can still be fully utilized. If the body lacks water, it must be supplemented through drinking water. The urine osmotic pressure of piglets (growing pigs) is lower than that of adult pigs, so the water requirement of piglets is nearly twice that of adult pigs. Once suckling piglets lose body water due to diarrhea, etc., they are immediately threatened with death.
However, the role of water is also often ignored by people. Pigs can survive for a relatively long time when other nutrients are in short supply, but when water is cut off, lacking, or drinking water is restricted, at best it affects pig growth and production, such as adverse effects on fetal growth, sow milk yield, growth speed of fattening pigs and feed conversion rate, and at worst it causes pig death. Therefore, like feed, drinking water supply is also one of the most basic technologies in pig farming. Pigs must be provided with sufficient fresh drinking water at all times.
In the body of adult pigs, the amount of water taken in and excreted every day is basically the same. Figure 1 shows the role and metabolism of water in the pig body.
Sanitary standards for water used in breeding Every country has its own water quality sanitary standards. China stipulates that water used in the breeding industry must comply with the human "Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality GB5749-85", which specifies physical, chemical, toxicological and microbiological indicators of water (Table 2).
Drinking water intake of pigs
The water requirement of pigs varies according to their body weight and reproductive stage. Suckling piglets obtain an average of 700g of water per day from breast milk, but breast milk alone is not enough to meet their needs. Therefore, even in the sow farrowing room, drinkers for piglets must be provided. In particular, when piglets are being creep fed, water must be supplied to them. In addition, affected by environmental temperature, the water requirement of pigs also differs, but when the temperature rises, the water requirement increases; when feeding feed with high salt content, the water requirement also increases. Once drinking water intake is restricted, feed intake will decrease, growth will slow down, and in severe cases death may occur due to salt poisoning. Table 3 lists the drinking water intake of pigs when the environmental temperature is 20°C.
Methods of supplying drinking water
1. Separate feed and water system
The separate feed and water supply system can reduce labor costs and is a method commonly used in China. At present, the drinkers used on pig farms include cup-type and nipple-type, with nipple-type being the main type. Nipple drinkers are broadly divided into bite-type drinkers and nose-press-type drinkers. From the perspective of convenience for pigs to drink, the latter is better than the former. Compared with nipple drinkers, cup drinkers have the following advantages: saving water; piglets adapt quickly; sufficient drinking; and more convenient adjustment of water volume. Pigs at each growth stage must have their own dedicated drinkers, which can be divided into those for suckling piglets, nursery piglets, fattening pigs and breeding pigs.
In order to prevent water from overflowing and making the floor wet, drinkers are generally installed near floor drains and urine gutters. The installation height of the drinker should be equivalent to the height of the mouth of the raised pig when standing naturally (Table 4). Improper type and installation height of the drinker will not only prevent pigs from obtaining sufficient drinking water, but also increase water overflow. In breeding pig stalls and sow farrowing crates, the drinker is installed on the iron plate in front of the feeder, and overflowing water falls into the trough, so pigs can use it while eating and no drinking water is wasted.
Water flow control If the water supply pressure is too high, water overflow will increase, which will increase the sewage in the pig house and raise the cost of polluted water treatment; on the contrary, if the water pressure is too low, drinking water will waste time and the pigs will not be able to drink enough, which may directly lead to reduced feed intake. Table 3 lists the drinking water intake of pigs and the recommended flow rate of drinkers when the environmental temperature is 20°C under separate feed and water feeding.
2. Feeding method that provides feed and water at the same time
It is further divided into the wet mash method and the liquid feed feeding method. The wet feed feeding method refers to a feeding method in which a wet feed feeder or a dry/wet feed feeder is installed in an ordinary feeder trough to feed and supply water at the same time. It is often used for feeding piglets and fattening pigs. This feeder can only accommodate the head and shoulders of one pig, and other pigs can rarely squeeze in again during feeding, so pigs can eat with peace of mind. At present, two types of feeders are commonly used: natural drop type and switching type (Figure 2). Small and medium-sized farms mostly use the method of preparing feed in advance and feeding it directly.
Compared with the separate feed and water feeding method, the wet feed method has the following advantages:
(1) Less waste of feed and drinking water, with obvious saving effects;
(2) Pigs eat faster, and each feeder can serve more pigs;
(3) Increased feed intake, better pig development, and higher uniformity;
(4) Pigs do not inhale dust through their nostrils while eating, reducing the incidence of respiratory diseases.
To maximize the advantages of wet mash feeding, attention must be paid to the following aspects:
(1) During the adaptation period, increase the amount of feed in the trough and increase the drinking water flow so that pigs remember how to use it;
(2) Confirm the supply of feed and drinking water every day and adjust the flow at any time. When installing the trough, make sure the keeper can see the condition inside the trough;
(3) Each trough can serve 8~10 pigs. If too many pigs use each feeder, some pigs will not get enough to eat, causing the herd's development to slow and individual differences to widen. On the contrary, if the number of pigs is too small, uneaten water-containing residual feed will remain in the trough, which easily leads to feed spoilage.
(4) In summer, pay attention to increasing the water supply pressure of the water pipe so that pigs can obtain sufficient drinking water, and add other drinking water equipment when necessary.
The liquid feed feeding method refers to a feeding method in which feed and drinking water are mixed in a container to form a liquid feed with a moisture content of 70%-80%, and the liquid feed is delivered by a pump through a pipeline system to a gutter-shaped trough, with the entire system controlled by a computer. This feeding method has long been popular in Europe, but has not yet been introduced in China.
1. Materials of drinkers If the materials of feeders and drinkers are iron, zinc-plated metal or plastic, the odor they give off will reduce pig appetite. Stainless steel material, which is easy to clean and durable, can be said to be the best choice.
Key points of water supply at each rearing stage
Key points of water supply for sows
The water supply to sows is not only related to the sows' own health, but also has a great impact on the development of suckling piglets and their subsequent growth. Therefore, water supply is one of the contents that must be highly valued in sow production management. For sows, especially lactating sows, whether cup-type or nipple-type drinkers are used, maintaining a stable water supply is the most critical issue.
Key points of water supply for suckling piglets
The suckling period of piglets is the stage with the highest water content in the pig body. Breast milk alone is far from enough to meet their drinking water requirements, and developing good drinking habits in piglets will have a better impact on subsequent feed intake and growth. At this time, the most important thing is to first train piglets in the drinking water location so that they can become familiar with the water source. In the first method, it is recommended to use a drip-type spiral drinker that can normally hold accumulated drinking water. General drinkers use a structure in which water automatically flows out after pressing or biting the water outlet regulating valve. Therefore, during training, let a small amount of water flow out each time, so that driven by curiosity they approach the drinker, thereby remembering the location of the water source and naturally understanding that touching the water outlet regulating valve will cause water to flow out. In addition, besides using drip spiral drinkers, there is also the method of drinking from cup drinkers like sows. Because they drink from the same cup drinker together with sows that drink large amounts of water, the water in the drinker is often fresh. This is a characteristic of this drinker.
Key points of water supply for weaned piglets
For weaned piglets, drinking water is particularly closely related to feed intake. Generally, a body weight of 10kg requires more than 1L of water. All over the world, cup drinkers are preferred for supplying water to weaned piglets. In weaned piglet houses, 1 water cup is provided for every 10-12 piglets. In addition, if the type of drinker used in the weaned pig house is different from that in the suckling house, piglets must be trained so that they learn to use it. Within 3d after piglets enter the weaning house, fix the spindle pin of the nipple drinker with metal wire and let water flow freely so that piglets adapt as quickly as possible.
Key points of water supply in fattening pig houses
Whether dry feed or liquid feed is used for fattening pigs, free drinking water must be adopted so that pigs can use the drinkers freely. In fattening pig houses, compared with the number of water supply points, the flow rate is more important, and a water flow rate of more than 1.5L per minute should be ensured. In addition, when replacing a damaged drinker, be sure to turn on the main switch to ensure normal water flow. If the main switch is left closed all night, then the development of 1-2d will be affected.
Figure 1. Metabolism of water in the pig body
Figure 2. Structure of a wet feed feeder
Table 1 Comparison of urine concentration ability of different animals
Animal Maximum osmotic pressure
(mOsm/H2O•kg) Urine/plasma osmotic pressure ratio Specific gravity
Growing pig
Adult pig
Human
Dog
Cat
Cattle
Seawater 400~500
1080
1300
2400
__
__
1400 2 or below
3
4
8
11
12
— —
1012
1020
1025
1030
1032
1023
Table 2 National Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality GB5749-85
Item Standard
Sensory properties and general chemical indicators Color Colority not exceeding 15 degrees, and no other abnormal color
Turbidity (degrees) Not exceeding 3 degrees, not exceeding 5 degrees under special circumstances
Odor and taste No abnormal odor or taste
Visible substances to the naked eye Must not contain any
pH 6.5-8.5
Total hardness (calculated as CzCO3)(mg/L) 450
Iron (Fe)(mg/L) 0.3
Manganese (Mn)(mg/L) 0.1
Copper (Cu)(mg/L) 1.0
Zinc (Zn)(mg/L) 1.0
Volatile phenols (calculated as phenol)(mg/L) 0.002
Sulfate (mg/L) 250
Chloride (mg/L) 250
Total dissolved solids (mg/L) 1000
Toxicological indicators
Fluoride (mg/L) 1.0
Cyanide (mg/L) 0.05
Arsenic (As)(mg/L) 0.05
Selenium (Se)(mg/L) 00.01
Mercury (Hg)(mg/L) 0.001
Cadmium (Cd)(mg/L) 0.01
Chromium (hexavalent)(Cr6+)(mg/L) 0.05
Lead (Pb)(mg/L) 0.05
Silver 0.05
Nitrate (calculated as N)(mg/L) 20
Chloroform*(μg/L) 60
Carbon tetrachloride*(μg/L) 3
Benzo(a)pyrene*(μg/L) 0.01
DDT*(μg/L) >1.0
BHC*(μg/L) >5.0
Bacteriological indicators Total bacterial count (units/mL) 100
Total coliforms (units/L) 3
Radioactive indicators Free residual chlorine After 30min of contact with water, it should not be less than 0.3mg/L. For centralized water supply, in addition to the treated water meeting the above requirements, the water at the end of the pipe network should not be less than 0.05mg/L
Total σ radioactivity (Bq/L) 0.1
Total β radioactivity (Bq/L) 1.0
Table 3 Drinking water intake of pigs and recommended drinker flow rate when the environmental temperature is 20°C
Growing pig body weight (kg) Daily drinking water intake (kg) Drinker flow rate (kg/min)
5—10
10—35
35—100
Breeding pigs
Lactating sows 1.7-3.5
2.5—3.8
3.8—7.5
13.0—17.0
18.0---23.0 0.3
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Table 4 Recommended installation height of drinkers
Guigui supplemented the following content on 2009-12-18 15:01
The table cannot be uploaded
---------------------
Read. Not bad,
---------------------
At present, the most common problem in China is that the installation height of drinkers is too low.
Water has the following main functions in the animal body. If about 10% of all water in the body is excreted from the body, it will be difficult to sustain life.
① Maintain the normal morphology and function of tissue cells and promote metabolism;
② Help the digestion and absorption of various ingested nutrients;
③ Transport nutrients and hormones to all tissues of the body through body fluids (blood, lymph, etc.);
④ Maintain the acid•base balance in the body;
⑤ Excrete waste products and toxins generated by metabolism from the body through excretion;
⑥ Be excreted from the body as moisture in exhaled air, sweat and urine, assisting in body temperature regulation.
Compared with other animals, pigs are animals that need to drink a large amount of water. From a physiological perspective, the osmotic pressure of pig urine is much lower than that of humans, cats, dogs and other animals (Table 1). Therefore, pig urine is light yellow in color and has a weak odor. The kidneys of pigs cannot reabsorb water that can still be fully utilized. If the body lacks water, it must be supplemented through drinking water. The urine osmotic pressure of piglets (growing pigs) is lower than that of adult pigs, so the water requirement of piglets is nearly twice that of adult pigs. Once suckling piglets lose body water due to diarrhea, etc., they are immediately threatened with death.
However, the role of water is also often ignored by people. Pigs can survive for a relatively long time when other nutrients are in short supply, but when water is cut off, lacking, or drinking water is restricted, at best it affects pig growth and production, such as adverse effects on fetal growth, sow milk yield, growth speed of fattening pigs and feed conversion rate, and at worst it causes pig death. Therefore, like feed, drinking water supply is also one of the most basic technologies in pig farming. Pigs must be provided with sufficient fresh drinking water at all times.
In the body of adult pigs, the amount of water taken in and excreted every day is basically the same. Figure 1 shows the role and metabolism of water in the pig body.
Sanitary standards for water used in breeding Every country has its own water quality sanitary standards. China stipulates that water used in the breeding industry must comply with the human "Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality GB5749-85", which specifies physical, chemical, toxicological and microbiological indicators of water (Table 2).
Drinking water intake of pigs
The water requirement of pigs varies according to their body weight and reproductive stage. Suckling piglets obtain an average of 700g of water per day from breast milk, but breast milk alone is not enough to meet their needs. Therefore, even in the sow farrowing room, drinkers for piglets must be provided. In particular, when piglets are being creep fed, water must be supplied to them. In addition, affected by environmental temperature, the water requirement of pigs also differs, but when the temperature rises, the water requirement increases; when feeding feed with high salt content, the water requirement also increases. Once drinking water intake is restricted, feed intake will decrease, growth will slow down, and in severe cases death may occur due to salt poisoning. Table 3 lists the drinking water intake of pigs when the environmental temperature is 20°C.
Methods of supplying drinking water
1. Separate feed and water system
The separate feed and water supply system can reduce labor costs and is a method commonly used in China. At present, the drinkers used on pig farms include cup-type and nipple-type, with nipple-type being the main type. Nipple drinkers are broadly divided into bite-type drinkers and nose-press-type drinkers. From the perspective of convenience for pigs to drink, the latter is better than the former. Compared with nipple drinkers, cup drinkers have the following advantages: saving water; piglets adapt quickly; sufficient drinking; and more convenient adjustment of water volume. Pigs at each growth stage must have their own dedicated drinkers, which can be divided into those for suckling piglets, nursery piglets, fattening pigs and breeding pigs.
In order to prevent water from overflowing and making the floor wet, drinkers are generally installed near floor drains and urine gutters. The installation height of the drinker should be equivalent to the height of the mouth of the raised pig when standing naturally (Table 4). Improper type and installation height of the drinker will not only prevent pigs from obtaining sufficient drinking water, but also increase water overflow. In breeding pig stalls and sow farrowing crates, the drinker is installed on the iron plate in front of the feeder, and overflowing water falls into the trough, so pigs can use it while eating and no drinking water is wasted.
Water flow control If the water supply pressure is too high, water overflow will increase, which will increase the sewage in the pig house and raise the cost of polluted water treatment; on the contrary, if the water pressure is too low, drinking water will waste time and the pigs will not be able to drink enough, which may directly lead to reduced feed intake. Table 3 lists the drinking water intake of pigs and the recommended flow rate of drinkers when the environmental temperature is 20°C under separate feed and water feeding.
2. Feeding method that provides feed and water at the same time
It is further divided into the wet mash method and the liquid feed feeding method. The wet feed feeding method refers to a feeding method in which a wet feed feeder or a dry/wet feed feeder is installed in an ordinary feeder trough to feed and supply water at the same time. It is often used for feeding piglets and fattening pigs. This feeder can only accommodate the head and shoulders of one pig, and other pigs can rarely squeeze in again during feeding, so pigs can eat with peace of mind. At present, two types of feeders are commonly used: natural drop type and switching type (Figure 2). Small and medium-sized farms mostly use the method of preparing feed in advance and feeding it directly.
Compared with the separate feed and water feeding method, the wet feed method has the following advantages:
(1) Less waste of feed and drinking water, with obvious saving effects;
(2) Pigs eat faster, and each feeder can serve more pigs;
(3) Increased feed intake, better pig development, and higher uniformity;
(4) Pigs do not inhale dust through their nostrils while eating, reducing the incidence of respiratory diseases.
To maximize the advantages of wet mash feeding, attention must be paid to the following aspects:
(1) During the adaptation period, increase the amount of feed in the trough and increase the drinking water flow so that pigs remember how to use it;
(2) Confirm the supply of feed and drinking water every day and adjust the flow at any time. When installing the trough, make sure the keeper can see the condition inside the trough;
(3) Each trough can serve 8~10 pigs. If too many pigs use each feeder, some pigs will not get enough to eat, causing the herd's development to slow and individual differences to widen. On the contrary, if the number of pigs is too small, uneaten water-containing residual feed will remain in the trough, which easily leads to feed spoilage.
(4) In summer, pay attention to increasing the water supply pressure of the water pipe so that pigs can obtain sufficient drinking water, and add other drinking water equipment when necessary.
The liquid feed feeding method refers to a feeding method in which feed and drinking water are mixed in a container to form a liquid feed with a moisture content of 70%-80%, and the liquid feed is delivered by a pump through a pipeline system to a gutter-shaped trough, with the entire system controlled by a computer. This feeding method has long been popular in Europe, but has not yet been introduced in China.
1. Materials of drinkers If the materials of feeders and drinkers are iron, zinc-plated metal or plastic, the odor they give off will reduce pig appetite. Stainless steel material, which is easy to clean and durable, can be said to be the best choice.
Key points of water supply at each rearing stage
Key points of water supply for sows
The water supply to sows is not only related to the sows' own health, but also has a great impact on the development of suckling piglets and their subsequent growth. Therefore, water supply is one of the contents that must be highly valued in sow production management. For sows, especially lactating sows, whether cup-type or nipple-type drinkers are used, maintaining a stable water supply is the most critical issue.
Key points of water supply for suckling piglets
The suckling period of piglets is the stage with the highest water content in the pig body. Breast milk alone is far from enough to meet their drinking water requirements, and developing good drinking habits in piglets will have a better impact on subsequent feed intake and growth. At this time, the most important thing is to first train piglets in the drinking water location so that they can become familiar with the water source. In the first method, it is recommended to use a drip-type spiral drinker that can normally hold accumulated drinking water. General drinkers use a structure in which water automatically flows out after pressing or biting the water outlet regulating valve. Therefore, during training, let a small amount of water flow out each time, so that driven by curiosity they approach the drinker, thereby remembering the location of the water source and naturally understanding that touching the water outlet regulating valve will cause water to flow out. In addition, besides using drip spiral drinkers, there is also the method of drinking from cup drinkers like sows. Because they drink from the same cup drinker together with sows that drink large amounts of water, the water in the drinker is often fresh. This is a characteristic of this drinker.
Key points of water supply for weaned piglets
For weaned piglets, drinking water is particularly closely related to feed intake. Generally, a body weight of 10kg requires more than 1L of water. All over the world, cup drinkers are preferred for supplying water to weaned piglets. In weaned piglet houses, 1 water cup is provided for every 10-12 piglets. In addition, if the type of drinker used in the weaned pig house is different from that in the suckling house, piglets must be trained so that they learn to use it. Within 3d after piglets enter the weaning house, fix the spindle pin of the nipple drinker with metal wire and let water flow freely so that piglets adapt as quickly as possible.
Key points of water supply in fattening pig houses
Whether dry feed or liquid feed is used for fattening pigs, free drinking water must be adopted so that pigs can use the drinkers freely. In fattening pig houses, compared with the number of water supply points, the flow rate is more important, and a water flow rate of more than 1.5L per minute should be ensured. In addition, when replacing a damaged drinker, be sure to turn on the main switch to ensure normal water flow. If the main switch is left closed all night, then the development of 1-2d will be affected.
Figure 1. Metabolism of water in the pig body
Figure 2. Structure of a wet feed feeder
Table 1 Comparison of urine concentration ability of different animals
Animal Maximum osmotic pressure
(mOsm/H2O•kg) Urine/plasma osmotic pressure ratio Specific gravity
Growing pig
Adult pig
Human
Dog
Cat
Cattle
Seawater 400~500
1080
1300
2400
__
__
1400 2 or below
3
4
8
11
12
— —
1012
1020
1025
1030
1032
1023
Table 2 National Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality GB5749-85
Item Standard
Sensory properties and general chemical indicators Color Colority not exceeding 15 degrees, and no other abnormal color
Turbidity (degrees) Not exceeding 3 degrees, not exceeding 5 degrees under special circumstances
Odor and taste No abnormal odor or taste
Visible substances to the naked eye Must not contain any
pH 6.5-8.5
Total hardness (calculated as CzCO3)(mg/L) 450
Iron (Fe)(mg/L) 0.3
Manganese (Mn)(mg/L) 0.1
Copper (Cu)(mg/L) 1.0
Zinc (Zn)(mg/L) 1.0
Volatile phenols (calculated as phenol)(mg/L) 0.002
Sulfate (mg/L) 250
Chloride (mg/L) 250
Total dissolved solids (mg/L) 1000
Toxicological indicators
Fluoride (mg/L) 1.0
Cyanide (mg/L) 0.05
Arsenic (As)(mg/L) 0.05
Selenium (Se)(mg/L) 00.01
Mercury (Hg)(mg/L) 0.001
Cadmium (Cd)(mg/L) 0.01
Chromium (hexavalent)(Cr6+)(mg/L) 0.05
Lead (Pb)(mg/L) 0.05
Silver 0.05
Nitrate (calculated as N)(mg/L) 20
Chloroform*(μg/L) 60
Carbon tetrachloride*(μg/L) 3
Benzo(a)pyrene*(μg/L) 0.01
DDT*(μg/L) >1.0
BHC*(μg/L) >5.0
Bacteriological indicators Total bacterial count (units/mL) 100
Total coliforms (units/L) 3
Radioactive indicators Free residual chlorine After 30min of contact with water, it should not be less than 0.3mg/L. For centralized water supply, in addition to the treated water meeting the above requirements, the water at the end of the pipe network should not be less than 0.05mg/L
Total σ radioactivity (Bq/L) 0.1
Total β radioactivity (Bq/L) 1.0
Table 3 Drinking water intake of pigs and recommended drinker flow rate when the environmental temperature is 20°C
Growing pig body weight (kg) Daily drinking water intake (kg) Drinker flow rate (kg/min)
5—10
10—35
35—100
Breeding pigs
Lactating sows 1.7-3.5
2.5—3.8
3.8—7.5
13.0—17.0
18.0---23.0 0.3
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
Table 4 Recommended installation height of drinkers
Guigui supplemented the following content on 2009-12-18 15:01
The table cannot be uploaded
---------------------
Read. Not bad,
---------------------
At present, the most common problem in China is that the installation height of drinkers is too low.