47 Pork News & Views Pork News & Views Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Better Pork | June 2024 A Pig Feeding Primer in Two Parts Part 2: Providing Feed and Water to Pigs Introduction Part 1 of this series outlined the basic nutrient requirements of pigs and important considerations when formulating and making diets. It can be found in the April 2024 issue of Pork News and Views. Part 2 provides guidance on feed and water management for pigs of all sizes Drinkers and Water Management Pigs should always be given free choice of clean, palatable water. Water should be tested annually to ensure its quality is suitable for pigs to consume. Every farm should have a contingency plan in place to provide water in the event of a supply interruption or contamination. If you are using a liquid feeding system or wet/dry feeders, a separate water only source must be provided to the pigs. Water disappearance can be much higher than actual water consumption by the pigs. Wastage of water happens regularly, so drinkers should be set to the correct height and flow rate to help reduce losses. Heights will need to be adjusted as the pigs grow, and flow rates should be checked weekly and during room fill. Using bowl style drinkers or a wet/dry feed system can reduce the amount of water wasted compared to using nipple drinkers. For more information on water usage and quality for livestock, see OMAFRA’s Water Requirements of Livestock Factsheet (https://www. ontario.ca/page/water-requirements-livestock). The National Farm Animal Care Council’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs also provides guidelines on water usage, flow rates and drinker heights for different phases of pig production in Appendix G (https:// www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/ pigs). There are lots of different styles of drinkers for livestock available on the market. For pigs, the most common styles of automatic drinkers include water nipples and water bowls. Water troughs can also be used successfully indoors or out but will require more labour to keep them clean. If you are raising pigs outdoors, try to keep the water source in a shady place to prevent water from overheating. Regardless of drinker type, they should be checked daily to ensure they are working properly. Ensure there is enough water for the number of animals in the pen. Not enough water can cause problems with feed intake, growth and reproduction (including milk production in sows). In a group setting, you want to ensure that every animal always has access to enough water. It is recommended there be no more than 10-15 pigs per water source (drinker); 10 for nursery pigs and 15 for larger animals. In the nursery and grow/finish barns, drinkers should be located near feed sources to reduce the amount of walking pigs need to do when eating and drinking. Water consumption varies significantly between different sizes of pigs and can be impacted by the environment and dietary intake. For example, consumption can increase by 15-50% if barn temperatures are above the pig’s temperature comfort zone. Young nursery pigs can consume between 1-2.5 liters of water per day. Growing pigs weighing about 50 kg can consume between 5-7 liters per day, with larger pigs consuming even more. A lactating sow needs significant amounts of water for milk production and can consume upwards of 20 liters per day during this period. Water quality is important to animal health and performance. Poor quality (odours, tastes, salt levels) can impact consumption. See the Factsheet on water requirements mentioned previously for some guidelines, and the article in PNV, April 2019 on Water Line Maintenance. Feeders and Feed Management Pigs need to be provided with daily access to feed that is adequate to meet their requirements and maintain their health. As discussed previously, there are lots of options on the types of feed you can provide. This section will discuss options on how to provide feed to pigs of all sizes. Regardless of the size of pig or stage of production, feeders should be checked daily to ensure they are functioning properly. If feeders are damaged, they should be repaired or replaced quickly to prevent feed spillage or injury to the animals. Feed storage areas and bins should be kept clean and rodent free. Feed systems can be classed as dry, wet-dry or liquid. With a dry system, a pelleted or mash feed is provided as is to the animals, and a water source is provided in a separate location. With a wet-dry system, a water nipple is located in the feeder trough, allowing the pig to mix water and dry feed together. Wet-dry systems have been shown to reduce feed wastage and increase feed consumption in many situations. A liquid feed system mixes ingredients and water in a tank and then delivers a liquid feed mixture to the pigs. One potential benefit of a liquid system is the ability to include high moisture corn or high moisture by-products into feed rations. Sows Sow feeder styles can vary depending on how they are housed and their stage of production (breeding, gestation, lactation). Feeders can be electronically controlled or use a manually calibrated drop system
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