This presentation formed part of the Farming Futures workshop 'Managing the climatic environment for the pig in East Anglia'. 12th November 2008

1. Water Management
Ian Dennis BVSc CertPM MRCVS

2. Facts
• 75 to 95% of the weight of the body is water
• It is required for
Maintenance of mineral homeostasis
Adjustment of body temperature
Excretion o e d p oduc s o d ges o (pa cu a y u ea)
c e o of end products of digestion (particularly urea)
For the achievement of satiety
For the satisfaction of behavioural drives
Source: P. H. Brooks 1989

3. Influences on Water Consumption
p
• Delivery systems
• Delivery rate

4. Influences on Water Consumption?
p
• High environmental temperature increases
water consumption??
• Increasing minerals in the diet
g
(particularly salt) increase water
p
consumption
• Diarrhoea increases water demand
• Quality of water
Source: P. H. Brooks 1989

11. Recommended maximum levels
Colony count 3 days 22°C 1000 (cfu/ml)
Colony count 2 d
C l t days 37°C 1000 ( f / l)
(cfu/ml)
Coliforms 1000 (cfu/100 ml)
E.coli 10 (cfu/100 ml)
Total Dissolved Solids 3,000 ppm
Sulphates 1,000 ppm
Nitrates 100 ppm
Nitrites 10 ppm
Iron 0.5 ppm
Magnesium
M i 400 ppm
Calcium 1,000 ppm
Hardness 180 ppm
pH (ideal range) 6.5-8.5

12. Microbiology Results
gy
Unit
Upper
U
limit
Units s 1 2 3 4 5
Colony count 3
days 22°C (cfu/ml) 1000 486 >300 972 324 101
Colony count 2
days 37°C (cfu/ml) 1000 1458 >300 29 59 62
(cfu/100
Coliforms ml) 1000 7 >100 2 16 0
(cfu/100
E.coli ml) 10 1 >100 1 11 0

13. Water Requirements
q
Daily Minimum flow rates
litres litres/minute
Codes Muirhead Denmark Codes Muirhead Denmark
20 to 40 kg 2.0 – 5.0 3.3 2.25 1.0 – 1.5 1.4 1.2
40 to 100 kg 5.0 – 6.0 4.2 5.0 – 6.0 1.0 – 1.5 1.7 1.2

14. Height of drinkers
g
Weight in Weight out 90°
90° Angle 45°
45° Angle
kg kg cm above floor cm above floor
5 20 25 - 40 30 - 50
7 25 30 - 45 35 - 55
15 30 35 - 45 45 - 55
30 100 45 - 65 55 – 75
Sows 75 90
Bowls – bottom rim of bowl above floor
Weaners 10 cm Finishers 30 cm

15. Water Consumption
p
• Rule of “thumb”
Between 20 to 40kg consumption is about
0k i i b
850ml per 10kg bodyweight
Between 40 to 60kg consumption is about
1 litre per 10kg bodyweight
• Fordham Bowl holds about 1½ to 2 litres
1½

16. Time spent drinking
p g
• Weaned pigs 1 to 3 weeks post weaning
– 2 to 5 minutes per day
p y
• Pigs 10 to 14 weeks old
– 4 to 7 minutes per day (up to 30 minutes)

17. When do pigs drink?
pg
• Weaned pigs highest consumption
between 8.30 to 17.00
• 20 to 90kg pigs
– 2 hours after am feed and
1 hour after pm feed
– 65 to 75% of daily intake between
8.00 to 19.00

18. ABP Requirements
q
All pigs over 2 weeks of age must have permanent access to a
sufficient quantity of fresh drinking water
Nipples or Mini-Bowls
Mini- Bowls
Ad lib feeding 1 per 15 pigs 1 per 30 pigs
Restrict feeding 1 per 10 pigs 1 per 20 pigs
Trough space Weight of pigs No.
No of pigs
0.3 m <15kg 40
0.3 m
03 15 to 35kg 30
0.3 m >35kg 25

19. ABP Requirements
q
• The water delivery system shall be
capable of supplying the necessary
quantity to satisfy the demands of all sows
• In wet feeding syste s a minimum o o e
et eed g systems u of one
separate clean water drinker per pen of
any type o s e s a be a a ab e
a y ype or size shall available

20. Water Waste from Nipple Drinkers
pp
Period 1 Period 2
Wt Kg 53 72
Flow rate ml/min 700 1000
Av. Water intake l/day 4.0 5.4
Water wastage % 25 27
• J. Anim. Sci. 2005.83:1413-1422
• Ni l drinkers set 50mm above shoulder height of smallest pig
Nipple d i k t 50 b h ld h i ht f ll t i

21. Water Waste from Nipple Drinkers
pp
53 kg pig Water intake ml/min Waste %
Flow rate 650ml/min 467 28
Flow rate 1300ml/min 795 39
72 kg pig
Flow rate 1000ml/min 722 28
Flow rate 2000ml/min 1422 29
9

22. Water Waste from Nipple Drinkers
Height adjustment
1.
1 Bowl drinker
2. Nipple drinker adjusted to recommended
height
3. High nipple drinker with step – 730mm
4. Low nipple drinker – 480 mm
• Water disappearance & manure output the
same for 1, 2 & 3 but these were 15 to 12%
1
lower , respectively, than 4

23. Water Waste
Pig International No.9 – Volume 35 – November 2005

24. Drinking Speed
g p
Pig International No.9 – Volume 35 – November 2005

25. Water use from different drinker types
yp
• 5 d k types
drinker
• Pigs weaned at 21 days over 3 weeks
1.
1 Arato 76 nipple
2. Lubing bite (type 1)
3. Lubing bite (type 2)
4. Mono-
Mono-flo nipple
5. Alvin bowl
Dr Pinder Gill. Meat & Livestock Commission 1988

26. Water use from different drinker types
yp
• Feed intake was not influenced by drinker type
y yp
• Daily gain was significantly improved by Arato 76
followed by Alvin bowl
• Mono-
Mono-flo piglets had lowest daily gains
• Annually the 0.57 l daily difference between Arato 76 &
Mono-
Mono-flo = 260 tonnes extra slurry from 1000 sow unit
rearing 21.5 p/s/y
Dr Pinder Gill. Meat & Livestock Commission

27. Water use from different drinker types
yp
• 4 drinker types
• Pigs 20kg to slaughter
1. Arato 80 bite
2. Lubing bite (type 1)
3. Lubing bite (type 2)
4. Mono-
Mono-flo nipple
pp
Dr Pinder Gill. Meat & Livestock Commission 1988

28. Water use from different drinker types
yp
• Ad lib feeding drinker type had no influence on pig performance
• Restricted feeding daily gain better with Lubing bite drinkers
• Mono-
Mono-flo under both feeding regimes – highest water usage &
lowest da y ga s
o est daily gains
• Annually the 4l daily difference between Mono-flo & others = 9000
Mono-
tonnes extra slurry from 1000 sow unit finishing 20 p/s/y
Dr Pinder Gill. Meat & Livestock Commission

31. Relationship between feed & water
p
• Water:feed relationship of 2.5:1 often proposed
• Pig eating 2kg requires 4.5l/day
• Lactating sow can drink up to 4x feed intake
• Drinkers 1 per 7
• Flow rate – minimum 2l/m
• Optimal temp = 20ºC Below this may drink less
20ºC

32. Effect of environmental temperature
p
• La Buvette bowls at 1 litre/min
• 25 to 105kg b/weight
• 3l of water per kg feed at 25ºC
25ºC
• 3.4l of water per kg feed at 29ºC
29ºC
• Growth winter months = 827g/d
• Growth summer months = 702g/d
Villefranche de Rouergue Institut Technique du Porc 1996

33. Sows
• Pregnancy – 5 to 12+ l/s/d
– BPEX – 5 to 8 l/s/d
• Lactation – up to 50 l/s/d
– BPEX – 15 to 30 l/s/d
Restricted water will cause cystitis

34. Flow rate
• 1000 x 90kg pigs
g pg
• 1 nipple per 10 pigs
• Flow rate 1.2l/min
1 2l/min
• 100 x 1.2 = 120 l/min
• 6 litres per pig
• 1200ml x 80% = 960ml/min
• Requires 6 minutes to drink per day