Pigs' drinking water cannot be ignored; raising pigs well requires attention to proper drinking water

Water is an important substance for the life activities of all animals. Pigs are no exception. In pigs, all life and physiological activities, including the digestion and absorption of nutrients, excretion of waste, blood circulation, respiration, and regulation of body temperature, depend on water. Once a pig's body lacks water, its life and physiological activities will be affected, leading to poor digestion and absorption of pig feed, thicker and more concentrated blood, elevated body temperature, and so on, which reduces feed conversion efficiency, increases feeding costs, and lowers breeding profitability. At the same time, it can also hinder pig growth and development and trigger various diseases.

1. The harm of insufficient drinking water in pigs

A month ago, in pig raising, there was generally a phenomenon of only paying attention to feeding while neglecting drinking water, not realizing that drinking water for pigs is equally important as feeding, or even more important than feeding. The main harms of insufficient drinking water are:

1. Insufficient drinking water can lead to an increased incidence of intestinal diseases in pigs. In the vast rural farming households @#@227@#@, most use the traditional feeding method of supplying water and feed all at once, and between meals, regardless of weather conditions or feed type, no drinking water is given. After pigs become thirsty due to insufficient drinking water, especially in hot summers, they often drink dirty water and similar things, and this phenomenon directly causes pigs to suffer from various intestinal diseases. According to statistics, intestinal diseases have been among the frequently occurring diseases in pigs in recent years, generally accounting for about 76% of the total number of pig cases, and among these intestinal diseases, quite a few are caused by pigs lacking water and drinking dirty water.

2. Insufficient drinking water can lead to reduced digestibility in pigs and higher feeding costs. At present, especially in rural areas, most use the pen-raising method, feeding only 2 to 3 times a day with water-mixed feed, and the water supply is extremely insufficient. This is especially true for fattening pigs. Households feed fattening pigs large amounts of energy feed every day, and this energy feed needs to absorb a large amount of water before it can be digested, absorbed, and transported by the pig's body, and a series of physiological activities such as excretion of metabolites also requires sufficient water. After feeding only 2 to 3 times a day, households confine the pigs in small pens, causing the pigs to develop intestinal dryness and heat, slowed and weakened intestinal peristalsis, incomplete nutrient absorption, a gradual decrease in daily feed intake, reduced digestibility, and hindered growth and development. A sample survey by relevant departments of 100 pigs raised by 20 pig-farming households showed that 1 hour after feeding, 98 pigs were thirsty and urgently needed drinking water, accounting for 98% of the total sampled. At the same time, plump pigs fed concentrated feed had a deeper degree of thirst and a larger drinking water intake.

2. Strengthen the management of drinking water for pigs

Strengthen the management of drinking water for pigs, supply sufficient drinking water according to the physiological characteristics of pigs, and meet the water requirements for growth and development, especially for fattening pigs, where water management should be strengthened even more. The specific methods are:

1. Set up drinking troughs. In order to meet pigs' drinking water needs and avoid all the drawbacks brought by insufficient drinking water, pig farmers should give pigs drinking water at least 4 to 5 times a day. It is best to set up dedicated drinking troughs in the pig house or activity yard, allowing pigs to drink freely and meet their water needs for growth and development.

2. Provide drinking water according to the physiological characteristics of pigs. According to data, for every 1 kg of dry feed a pig consumes, it needs 2-5 kg of drinking water. In winter, pigs' drinking water intake is slightly lower: for every 1 kg of dry feed consumed, they need 2-4 kg of water; in spring and autumn, for every 1 kg of dry feed consumed, pigs need 8 kg of water; in summer, for every 1 kg of dry feed consumed, pigs need 10 kg of water. Lactating sows need even more water. Therefore, whether pig farmers feed compound feed, mixed feed, or single feed, they must meet this basic physiological need for drinking water in pigs, and it is best to pair concentrated feed with some green, juicy forage while feeding.