Effect of Rearing Practices on the Water Consumption by Piglets in the First Eight Weeks after Birth

Abstract

Water consumption was assessed in two groups of piglets during the first 8 weeks after birth. Group 1 consisted of litters suckled by the sows and receiving supple­ mentary feeding from the 3rd week after birth. Piglets of Group 2 were reared in isolation in a thermoneutral zone from the 2nd day after birth on a 78.47 % hydrated diet that was offered to them for sucking at first ten times a day and after 4 weeks nine times a day at 2-h intervals. With advancing age. the piglets increased their water consumption mainly in dependence upon the ingestion of energy: the traditionally-reared piglets, from 0.44 (in the lst week) to 1.60 kg . d- l (in the 8th week) and the early-weaned piglets, ~