Content
Drinkers for pigs differ in design and operating principle. If in a household it is customary to give drink from a basin or trough, then on farms special devices with automatic water supply are used.
What requirements must drinking bowls meet?
Regardless of the material of manufacture, the principle of operation, the drinker must meet the requirements:
- The drinking device must provide free access for pigs and not create obstacles.
- The tightness of the structure is required. When water is only available for pigs to drink, liquid will not spill around the drinking bowl. The likelihood of mold, dirt, and bacterial growth will be reduced.
- A stable water supply plays an important role in the growth process of pigs. Animals constantly need fluid. Water is provided to the pigs in reserve or water bottles are installed, connected to a centralized water supply.
- Drinkers must be kept clean at all times. They are washed from dirt and disinfected once a day. Design safety is important. Pig drinking bowls are made from non-toxic materials.Sharp protrusions, edges and other defects that could injure the animal are unacceptable.
- The use of durable materials will significantly extend the service life of drinkers. Pigs are naturally clumsy and sometimes mischievous. If the structure is made of fragile materials, they will quickly break it.
- When using process water, it is advisable to install filters in front of automatic drinkers. To prevent the liquid from freezing in winter, electric heating is installed.
The drinking bowl will meet all requirements when it is supplied with clean water consistently.
Types of drinking bowls for pigs and piglets
At home, pigs are watered from basins, buckets, troughs, and other devices. Such options for a farm cannot be considered. It is not very convenient to use basins and buckets even at home, since pigs turn them over and spill the liquid contents throughout the barn. In professional pig farming, a piglet drinking bowl with an uninterrupted water supply is used.
Nipple
The nipple automatic drinker is considered the most complex water supply system. The pig covers it with his mouth like a nipple. This is where the second name comes from - nipple drinker. The system can be connected to several water supplies. Each circuit is equipped with a valve, a filter element, and a seal. The nipple itself is fixed to a metal pipe.
The efficiency of the nipple system has made it popular, the most in demand in many pigsties. To drink water, the pig covers the nipple with its mouth. The liquid immediately enters the mouth when the valve opens. Due to the fact that the water does not come into contact with the contaminated container, it spends little time in the air, it is always clean. The likelihood of pigs becoming infected with pathogens is reduced.Having finished drinking, the pig releases the nipple and the valve shuts off the water supply.
Advantages:
- In terms of water efficiency, the nipple drinker for pigs outperforms other analogues.
- Complete hygiene is ensured. The sealed system prevents the penetration of pathogenic flora into drinking water.
- Little material is used to make nipple drinkers. The system is distinguished by its universal use in any type of pigsty, long service life, and reliability.
The downside is the need to attract specialists to lay the pipeline through the pigsty, and the additional costs of purchasing nipples. Initially, efforts must be made to accustom pigs to drinking from the teat.
Vacuum
The simplest vacuum system operates on the same principle as an automatic waterer for pigs. Such devices are used for poultry and rabbits. A drinking bowl for pigs consists of two components: a bath and a container with a supply of water. The first element is a durable sealed box without a top lid. It is advisable to use a stainless steel or galvanized bath. The pig will not tear the metal, and the corrosion resistance will extend the life of the product. Any bottle or jar can serve as a water container.
The operating principle is based on creating a vacuum in the vessel. The bottle is filled with water, turned upside down, and placed on the bottom of the bath. A small amount of water flows out. When the pig drinks it, liquid is automatically added from the bottle.
Advantages:
- low cost of the system, simplicity of design, possibility of self-production;
- the pig quickly masters the automatic drinker due to its accessibility to water;
- The containers are easy to wash and disinfect at any convenient time.
The downside is that it cannot be used for adult pigs. The water in an open bath quickly becomes contaminated; it must be changed frequently and the drinker itself must be cleaned. The vacuum system cannot be used with a filter. Only prepared water should be poured into the bottle. In addition, the drinker is very light. Even little piglets manage to knock it over.
Cup
The drinking bowl is equipped with a container from which the pig drinks water. An uninterrupted supply of liquid is carried out through the valve. The system works on the principle of a toilet cistern. When the bowl is empty, it rotates upward on an axis. The valve opens, a certain amount of water is drawn in, the container is lowered, and the liquid supply stops. The pig drinks water. The light bowl rises, the valve opens again, and the cycle repeats. Sometimes cup automatic drinkers are equipped with a pedal. The pig steps on the mechanism, water is supplied. When the animal moves to the side, the pedal rises and the valve shuts off the fluid supply.
Advantages:
- easy access to drink, pigs easily get used to it;
- saving water, no splashing;
- easy system assembly without the need to invite specialists.
The disadvantage is the same flimsy design, and the rapid contamination of the bowl by pigs.
How to make it yourself
The easiest to make at home are vacuum-type drinking bowls and pipe troughs. However, from a sanitary point of view they have many disadvantages. If you try, you can make a nipple drinker for pigs. You just need to purchase a nipple and understand the principle of installing the system.
The video shows the assembly and installation of a drinking bowl for pigs:
Material selection
Typically, a do-it-yourself drinking bowl for piglets is assembled from three types of materials:
- Wood is considered an environmentally friendly, cheap and affordable material. A drinking bowl used by pigs can be easily disposed of. You can simply burn it. However, due to its structure, wood quickly absorbs moisture, dirt, and food debris. The structure swells, becomes heavy, and harmful microorganisms develop on the surface. Wood is difficult to clean and disinfect. The problem is the seams that require careful sealing. Otherwise, water will constantly flow out through the cracks.
- Plastic washes well and is resistant to corrosion, but the fragility of the material does not make it popular in the manufacture of drinking bowls. Pigs quickly gnaw at such structures, knock them over, and crush them.
- Metal is considered the best material for drinking water for pigs. To prevent the structure from rusting, use galvanized or stainless steel. Sharp edges are treated with a grinder grinder wheel to reduce the risk of injury to the animal.
Having decided on the material, they think through the very design of the pig drinking trough and begin manufacturing.
How to make a pig water bottle from a pipe
If you decide to go with a classic pig trough, it’s easier to make it from a pipe. There are a number of simple steps to follow:
- The drinker blank is a piece of pipe with a diameter of 350-500 mm. The older the pig, the larger the trough will be needed.
- The pipe is opened lengthwise into two parts using a grinder. You can cut it into halves, but it is better to make one part larger. A deep drinking bowl will cause less water to spill.
- The side ends of the pipe are welded with plugs. Transport handles can also be welded here.
- Legs or simply two pieces of thin tube are welded to the bottom of the trough from the outside.The device will ensure stability of the drinking bowl.
The pig device is ready. The edges of the drinking bowl are well polished to remove burrs and welding scale, placed in the pigsty, and water is poured in. Due to rapid contamination, it is changed at least twice a day.
How to make a nipple drinker
A nipple drinker is considered more difficult to manufacture, but more effective. You will need a large container for water supply, hoses, fittings, nuts, clamps. Nipples are purchased in the same quantity as the pigs need drinking bowls. A plastic barrel with a lid is suitable for the container.
Manufacturing procedure:
- Stepping away from the bottom of the barrel, drill holes. Their number corresponds to the number of pigs that will use the drinkers. The diameter of the holes corresponds to the cross-section of the fittings. They will act as adapters for connecting the hose.
- Fittings are inserted into each hole with a thread. Place metal washers and rubber gaskets and tighten with nuts.
- Hoses are attached to the ends of the fittings coming out of the barrel and clamped with clamps. A nipple is attached to their other end. The length of the hose should be enough from the barrel to the pig's pen.
- The barrel is placed on a hill. It is optimal to weld a stand from metal. Place the barrel as close to the pig pens as possible to reduce the length of the hose.
- The nipples are attached near each pig pen on a tube or fitting. You can come up with a mounting plate.
If pigs are kept in a group, there is no need to use a hose. The barrel is simply placed inside the pigsty, and nipples are cut into its walls immediately through adapters.
Installation of drinkers
Regardless of the design, any drinking bowl in a pigsty must be positioned correctly. The main requirement is height. The parameter depends on the age and physique of the pigs:
- For young animals weighing up to 15 kg, the nipple is placed at a height of 15 cm from the floor. When using a bowl, the maximum height of its edge is 7 cm.
- For piglets weighing 20 kg, the nipple is placed at a height of 25 cm. The edge of the bowl is raised to 11 cm.
- For young individuals weighing from 20 to 50 kg, the nipple is placed at a height of 35 to 45 cm. The edge of the bowl rises to a maximum of 16 cm.
- For adult pigs weighing up to 100 kg, the nipple is raised to 63 cm from the floor. The bowl is used with a side height of up to 26 cm.
- For adults weighing more than 100 kg, the nipple is raised to 72 cm. The maximum height of the sides of the bowl is 32 cm.
The angle of inclination of the drinker similarly corresponds to the age of the pigs. Young animals are placed at an angle of 15-20 O. For adult animals, an angle of 45 is preferable. O.
It is not advisable to supply high water pressure to the system. It is optimal to maintain the parameter in the range of 2-4 bar.
Conclusion
It is best to buy drinking bowls for pigs that are factory-made. The capital investment is small, and the thoughtfulness of the design will affect the comfort of use. If you still want to save money, then you should give preference to homemade nipple models.
