255 Impact of Water Flow Rate on Finishing Pig Performance Under Commercial Conditions. (12th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Miller, Hannah E; Perez-Palencia, Jorge Y; Samuel, Ryan S; Levesque, Crystal L; Thaler, Robert C
• Is Part Of: Journal of animal science. Volume 100(2022)Supplement 2
• Page Start: 118
• Page End: 119
• Publication Date: 2022-04-12
• Subjects: finishing pig performance -- summer -- water flow rate; Livestock -- Periodicals; Livestock; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac064.200
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8812

Abstract

Abstract: A survey of South Dakota pork producers in 2019 reported that 68% had water flow rates above the recommended rate of 500-1, 000 mL/min. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of water flow rate on finishing pig performance during from June to September in a commercial barn. A total of 1, 227 mixed sex pigs (61 ± 4.38 kg) at 8-weeks post-wean were utilized in an 84-d trial with 26 pigs/pen and 2 cup waterers/pen. Pens were assigned to 1 of 3 water flow rates (high, medium, low) based on the 3-hole diameter of the water nipples (2.0, 1.0, 0.80 mm; n = 16 pens/setting). Individual pen water flow rate, water disappearance, BW, and feed disappearance were recorded every 2 weeks. Carcass data was collected at the conclusion of the trial. Water flow rates averaged 1, 565±96, 1, 115±265, and 605±203 mL/min for high, medium, and low flow rates, respectively. Ambient temperature ranged from 4 to 37 °C. There was no difference in growth performance based on means separation test. Due to variability of water flow rate within a setting, data was further analyzed using regression with flow rate as the independent variable. There was a positive quadratic relationship ( P < 0.05) for daily water disappearance (adjR 2 =0.87) and daily gain (adjR 2 =0.11) with water flow rate and a tendency for positive linear relationship between final BW ( P = 0.07, adj. R 2 = 0.06) and flow rate. Feed conversion had a negative cubic relationship with water flow rate ( P < 0.05, adj. R 2 = 0.20) and no relationship between hot carcass weight or average daily feed intake and water flow rate. The low R 2 values associated with pig performance and high association with water disappearance suggest that excess water flow rate has a low impact on finishing pig performance but contributes to water wastage and its associated costs.