What’s The Big Deal about Water?

To those in the swine industry, it is a common saying that the most important things to give pigs to grow are feed, air and water.

There is a lot of time put into researching what should go into feed. What can the pig digest the best? What helps the pig to grow the best? How much feed does it take for the pig to gain a pound? These things are continually being examined and tested to ensure that we are feeding pigs to the best of our knowledge.

Next, we look at the air. How much air should be moving at any given time? How can we test the quality of the air? What temperature should the air be according to the age of the pig? Does the pig grow better in a warmer environment or in a cooler environment? Again, these are questions that have been studied and addressed several times over.

Now, researchers have decided to investigate water more in depth. There is a conversation about well water versus rural water, but researchers are looking even deeper than that. We want to know how to care for the water in our barns. What is naturally occurring in the water? How can we improve it? How can we monitor it?

Just like the water we consume and use, not all water is the same. The water we drink is commonly treated and tested before it ever gets to our houses. In the same way, the water that we give to pigs can be treated. This treatment helps to reduce anything in the water that is not beneficial to them. We can do this while they are in the barns or while the barns are empty.

The first step to knowing what is needed for each individual water source is to test the water. Samples can be taken and sent to a lab. The lab can then give you a report on the composition of the water so decisions can be made on how to best improve the water.

When the barns are empty, water systems can be deep cleaned to reduce the biofilms that are in the water lines. Biofilms thrive in wet environments so cleaning the lines and allowing them to dry completely is the best way to remove them.

Additionally, water can be treated, and filters can be used while pigs are in the barns to reduce the amount of iron, calcium, magnesium and other elements in the water.

All these efforts go into improving the growth of animals and our swine industry every day. This is something we in the swine industry thrive for continually.