Many “enemies” on the farm are out of sight and out of mind — that’s what makes them so dangerous. For Dr. Gabi Doughan, veterinarian and technical project specialist in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, one of the most overlooked threats is water quality.
“Water is essential to everyday pig production, and yet we overlook a lot of aspects of that,” Doughan says. “In addition to hydration and the nutritional value it provides the pig, it’s really important for medication use. We administer medications, oral vaccines, electrolytes, probiotics and more to these pigs through the water systems.”
And that’s not cheap, she says.
What if your water affects the effectiveness of these products? Just because a product can go into water and it looks soluble doesn’t necessarily mean that the active ingredient is actually still active, Doughan points out.
“If you’ve got high mineral content, your water temperature is too warm, among many other factors, it may actually inactivate some of those drugs that we’re trying to use,” Doughan says. “I think there’s a general lack of awareness around how water quality impacts these things.”
It’s Time to Shift the Mindset on Water
Previous research in the 1970s and 1980s demonstrated that pigs can generally tolerate a wide range of water qualities. However, Doughan likes to challenge that mentality because swine production has changed.
“Our pig has changed genetically — from the nutrition it requires to the health challenges it is facing today,” she says. “I think we need to break down that barrier to say, ‘Okay, maybe we need to shift our thinking about this and start considering water as an essential nutrient that we need to monitor.’”
Don’t forget that water is also used for biosecurity purposes, Doughan adds. From disinfecting barns to cleaning equipment, water plays a really big role on the farm and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
More people are taking an interest in understanding water quality on their farms and starting to manage that through water line cleaning and water disinfection. While there are many tools available, there are also many questions on how to make them work.
3 Ways Water Chemistry Quietly Limits Growth
Because producers rarely cut open their water lines, they don’t see the heavy mineral buildup, restricted flow and thick sheets of biofilm hiding inside. This “out of sight, out of mind” reality has serious consequences, as water intake in pigs is closely linked to feed consumption. When water intake decreases, feed intake typically follows suit.
“An animal that isn’t drinking will not eat,” says Laura Greiner, associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University and director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center. “In addition, water quality can impair nutrient absorption.”
Ultimately, this leads to reduced growth and efficiency. This decrease negatively affects key performance indicators like average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratios in swine production. Here are three reasons why water chemistry could be to blame for the decline in water intake.
1. Hard Water
While hard water alone doesn’t harm pigs, when paired with high pH, it creates severe mineral scaling inside the lines. This restricts water flow. Because water intake drives feed intake, pigs at the back of the barn with restricted flow eat less, stunting their growth.
2. High Iron
Iron ruins the taste or palatability of water, causing pigs to back off drinking and subsequently, eating. Furthermore, iron acts as a primary fuel source that feeds and accelerates biofilm growth. Biofilm not only affects taste but it could possibly be pathogenic or influence the gut microbiome.
3. High Sulfates and Total Dissolved Solids
High levels of sulfates or total dissolved solids (TDS) can trigger “osmotic diarrhea.” Doughan notes a crucial detail: This diarrhea is completely non-pathogenic, meaning the pigs are physically growing and performing fine. However, because it mimics clinical disease, producers may panic, misdiagnose the issue as an outbreak, and waste money on expensive antibiotics to treat a water-chemistry problem rather than an actual illness.
