Factors influencing water temperature on farms and the effect of warm drinking water on pig growth

Abstract

Drinking water temperature was measured continuously for one year on 22 pig farms in South Australia (SA) and Queensland (QLD) and data were collected on major housing features and management factors employed in individual piggery buildings. The data collected enabled the likely effects of housing and management factors on resulting water temperature to be quantified and the industry to be made aware of the importance of providing drinking water within optimal temperature range for efficient pig production and welfare. The data collected identified statistically significant housing and management factors associated with and contributing to sub-optimal water temperature as seasons (P=0.0001), source of water (P=0.0001), position of piping (P=0.003), water pressure (P=0.042), size of in-shed water reservoir (P=0.0001) and diameter of the main (P=0.0001) and delivery pipes (P =0.0001). A controlled experiment was also conducted to complement these findings by quantifying the negative effect of sub-optimal (warm) drinking water temperature on pig growth rate. Two identical weaner rooms were selected for the on-farm study. Genetics, nutrition, management, stocking rate and density were identical for both groups. Pigs in the treatment group received water heated to 28.3±0.4 °C while the control group received unheated water at 17.8±0.9 °C. Growth rate was suppressed by 58 grams/day in the group receiving the heated water. These results demonstrate the negative effect of warm water temperature on pig production and highlight potential ways of reducing the likelihood of providing warm drinking water to livestock.