Among the most important nutrients yet affordably accessible in pig diets is water. Water supports almost all body processes in the life of a pig. Unfortunately, many farmers unknowingly deprive their pigs of water, leading to unprofitable performance.
The deprivation happens in many different ways: –
- Positioning nipple drinkers lower or higher than a particular age group of pigs can reach.
- Using the wrong nipple drinker flow rates.
- Putting fewer drinker points than required for a particular group of pigs.
- Providing water mixed with other substances, such as salt and soap.
- Mixing water with feeds instead of providing it separately.
- Replacing water with animal liquid excreta, most especially urine.
- Providing dirty and turbid water
- Using the wrong water troughs
Water consumption in pigs is largely influenced by temperature. The climatic conditions in some parts of Uganda and East Africa at large, most especially average temperature and relative humidity, are conducive for pigs to grow without much moderation. However, there are fluctuations:
Too low temperatures during rainy seasons.
This increases the relative humidity as well. Lower temperatures are more detrimental to the life of piglets. In fact, it is one of the major causes of pre-weaning mortalities on average pig farms in the country. Water consumption is usually lower during cold days, but this doesn’t reduce the importance of always having it available to the pigs.
Temperature increases during the dry season. High temperature leads to poor feed intake in pigs
Prolonged exposure to excessively high temperatures can cause death in pigs, especially when they have limited access to clean and fresh water. Water intake is highest during high temperatures. These temperature fluctuations make access to clean and fresh water one of the most important aspects of successful pig farming in Africa.
Besides temperature regulation, pigs require water for a variety of reasons, including, movement of nutrients into the body tissues, the removal of metabolic waste, the production of milk, growth, and reproduction. Pigs consume the majority of their water by drinking.
Therefore, a detailed discussion about the 6 factors that limit adequate water intake in pigs is timely. Below is the discussion of each in detail:
Positioning nipple drinkers lower or higher than a particular age group of pigs can reach.
Long ago, concrete water troughs were a better option for providing water to the pigs. Unlike plastic containers, whose stability is poor and always leads to excessive water wastage, concrete troughs are very stable.
However, the hygiene of concrete water troughs is hard to maintain. This makes the idea of providing clean and fresh water to the pigs at all times difficult.
They are hard to clean. Pigs sometimes step, urinate, or even bathe in the water in the troughs. These challenges made metallic water nipple drinkers a better option.
Automatic watering systems are still new to Uganda’s pig sector. Many farmers still surprised to learn that pigs can drink from these nipples. Mr. Nelson Sempa has largely promoted this technology.Soon imported the first batch of nipple drinkers into the country about 10 years ago. Convincing a farmer to buy a piece then was a hard job! Today is a different story
Mr. Nelson Sempa has largely promoted this technology. Nelson imported the first batch of nipple drinkers into the country about 10 years ago. Convincing a farmer to buy a piece then was a hard job! Today is a different story
Due to the fact that Uganda’s pig sector is led by smallholders, the pig housing plans and limited resources couldn’t enable the known process of pig nipple drinkers’ installations, which involve plumbing work. However, again, Nelson introduced nipple cans. The nipple drinkers are fixed on cans so that farmers don’t invest in plumbing work. The farmer needs to either hang the cans in the pig houses or put them in a place easily accessible by the pigs. Water must refilled whenever it falls below the minimum levels.
It is true that nipple drinkers revolutionized and eased the provision of clean and fresh water to the pigs at all times. However, when these are not correctly positioned, pigs end up deprived of water.
The height and position of pig drinkers depend on the type of nipple, the type of pig house, and the age of the pigs. Position the nipples 5 centimeters above the shoulder height of the smallest pig.In practice, however, it is not possible to measure all pigs and adapt the height of nipples differently. Farmers mount nipples on the wall at a fixed height within a specified range. In some pig houses, they install several pig drinkers at varying heights to ensure that every pig has easy access to water.
When you use nipple cans, make sure to mount them 5 centimeters above the shoulder height of the smallest piglet in the group. This setup is effective only if you adjust the housing between weaning and finishing based on weight or age groups. You may need to provide multiple nipple cans or cans fixed with more than one nipple positioned at different levels to cater for all stages from weaning to finishing.
Poor heights of nipple drinkers not only affect water intake in pigs but also increase wastage.
The following are recommended positioning heights for bite nipple drinkers per pig categories: –
- Piglets, 5kg+ – 5cm
- Piglets 10kg+-25cm
- Growers, 20kg+-40cm
- Growers, 50kg+ -60cm
- Finishers, 90kg+ -70cm
- Sows – 90cm
- Boars -90cm
To position nipple drinkers at the right height, ensure your birds have good genetics, receive proper nutrition, and benefit from effective management practices. Increase in size is usually slower in poorly fed pigs
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