The effect of four levels of feed on the water intake and water to feed ratio of growing pigs

Abstract

Much of the early studies investigating the water consumption of pigs have measured water use rather than actual water intake. Water use includes an unknown component of waste from the drinking utensil used.WATER USE = WATER INTAKE + WATER WASTAGEOne of the objectives of this study was to measure actual total water Intake of growing pigs and to calculate actual total water to feed ratio.Recommendations of water feed ratio for liquid feed systems have been commonly made from experimentation with non wet fed pigs. The Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock : Pigs (1985) state that where water is not freely available, for example by means of bowls or drinkers, at least 2 litres of water should be added to each kg of meal. Water to feed ratios calculated in this way may be over estimated as they include an element of waste from drinking utensils which does not occur with wet fed pigs. Also recommendations of this nature make no allowance for the amount of water a pig may choose to consume with its feed. The second objective of this study was to investigate how much water pigs choose to drunk with their feed and how much is drink interprandially.