Page 7 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Small-scale pig keeping: the importance of water for pig health
flow rates are known to affect the ability to digest feed efficiently, they can be damaging if set incor- rectly.
Given the correct hus- bandry conditions, and with plenty of fresh palat- able water, pigs are good at looking after them- selves.
PIGS require water to meet their physiological needs.
surprisingly, a dry meal. It is reported that un- derfed pigs increase wa- ter consumption, particu- larly in gestating sows as they presumably attempt
of age, may be able to get in but not out, so choose trough depths carefully.
These include most metabolic functions, the movement of nutrients through to body tissues and organs, lubrication of joints, adjustments in body temperature, remov- al of waste, milk produc- tion, and for growth and reproduction – including semen production.
to ‘feel full’.
Pigs fed a diet supple-
Pigs, when they can, will purposely tip troughs over for various reasons, for example through boredom, for fun or to lie in the cool spilt water.
Final thought
A pig can lose most of its fat and half its body protein without dying and up to 10 percent without affecting performance, but if it loses as little as 10 percent of its water content, death quickly follows.
Pigs affected with dis- eases require more wa- ter than healthy pigs of the same age and body weight, especially if the illness is accompanied by diarrhoea or the animal has a high temperature caused by fever.
This includes nipple drinkers, which are teats attached to the mains water supply via pipes, which do not require cleaning out and have continuous fresh water.
Water balance is con- stant in the pig, with the most important source being available via drink- ing, though additional water is manufactured in the body via the break- down of dietary carbohy- drate, fat and protein.
This makes perfect sense as more water is being lost.
Careful maintenance of water dispensers is re- quired because they can stick and flood, and as
The recently published Code of Practice for the Welfare of Pigs (Eng- land) provides a guide on the minimum quantities consumed in a temperate climate, but a continuous supply of potable water is the aim.
Pigs are clever, but they don’t have the foresight to see that this reduces the water available for drinking.
Potable being the key word – not contaminat- ed with faeces or urine, including relying on streams as a source of drinking water because these may be contami- nated from further up- stream.
Hot weather puts addi- tional pressures on the pig to keep cool and, due to a deficiency of func- tional sweat glands, ex- pulsion of heat via urina- tion is one way they can cool down.
Crude protein levels
Pigs are instinctive and will limit feed intake in hot weather to reduce the metabolic heat generated by digestion.
The amount of wa- ter consumed increases proportionally with the amount of crude protein in the diet.
Feeding at the cooler ends of the day can assist to maintain water bal- ance.
Therefore pigs fed on 13 percent crude protein will drink less than those on 16 percent or more.
Trough sizing
Pigs consuming a pel- leted feed require more water than those fed a wet meal and also, perhaps
You should use water troughs of different sizes for different ages, and always be mindful that piglets, which need water provided from two weeks
mented with permitted fruit and vegetable waste will naturally drink less. Effects of disease
By fitting automatic water dispensers, apart from in freezing condi- tions, you can avoid this issue.
How proficient you are at providing for them isn’t generally challenged on a day-to-day basis, however the difference between OK and excel- lent water management lies in how your system provides for the needs of any that become unwell or are vulnerable in other ways.
Dr Michaela Giles
Encourage drinking by sitting extra troughs near the sleeping quarters. Working boars
Photo: Amber Kipp
PLEvac® is BACK
CONVENIENT & EFFECTIVE
PLEvac is the only 3-in-1 vaccine for protection against Erysipelas and Leptospira pomona infections and as an aid in the control of parvovirus infection in pigs.
ALSO DON’T FORGET ECOvac®
An inactivated vaccine for protection against E.coli scours in neonatal piglets.
© 2020 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved.
Free Call 1800 033 461 www.msd-animal-health.com.au Amanda Vardanega 0427 011 579
A pig loses water via urine, faeces, respiration and from the skin.
A ‘working’ boar can perform with considera- ble physical exertion and produce up to 450ml of semen at each service, which will lead to water deficiency that will need replacing.
This intake-output bal- ance is directly affected by a multitude of fac- tors including age; what they’re fed and crude pro- tein content of their feed; weather/climate; health status; wallows provided; and husbandry type (in- door/outdoor) – so the quantity required cannot be quoted in absolute li- tres.
Wallows
Muddy wallows are an essential tool for outdoor- reared pigs to keep cool in hot weather via trans- fer of their body heat and if you don’t provide one, the pig will make one using the only water they have available – from their trough.
Climate
However, this does require them to take in more water.
www.porknews.com.au
Australian Pork Newspaper, April 2020 – Page 7
Photo: Riley Bartel
BACK IN STOCK