EU PiG – Clean and accessible water

Improved pig health and productivity, along with lower antibiotic consumption and costs, are the results of using a water purification system and ensuring adequate access to water. Danish producer Jens Ole Bladt has installed a water purification system from Danish Clean Water (DCW) to ensure clean water and prevent biofilm formation in storage facilities, pipelines and drinking troughs.

Ambassador: Jens Ole Bladt, Sydals, Denmark

Publication date: August 2018 

Theme: Precision production

Challenges: Smart water usage

The system delivers a biodegradable disinfectant that reduces pathogenic bacteria and is approved for drinking water for production animals.

The following results have been calculated using the farm’s data and the InterPIG model:

• Rearing and finishing mortality decreased by 1%
• Daily rearing and finishing liveweight gain were 10% and 5% higher, respectively
• Feed conversion ratio was 3% better due to better utilisation of feed
• Jens reported 10% reduced illness with diarrhoea, which resulted in lower veterinary costs estimated at a decrease of 10%
• Additional maintenance costs of the system were estimated at €0.055  per cubic meter of water
• Based on these assumptions, the variable production costs decreased by 2.84% and fixed costs decreased by 3.51%
• The total costs were 3.06% lower as a result of the water system: €1.40/kg vs €1.36/kg hot slaughter weight

Jens’ farm already had a high standard of hygiene, so on farms with slightly lower standards of water quality, the impact of this water system has the potential to be even greater.

As well as using the fully automated water purification system, several practical steps are taken to ensure clean water is provided consistently.

Water for newly weaned pigs is provided using feed troughs, and systematic checks take place several times per day to ensure that clean water is accessible for all pigs. Also, the troughs are cleaned systematically at least once a day or more often if the water is not clean enough.

When the pigs are older, the troughs are solely used for wet feed, but two drinking cups are present in each pen (28–30 pigs per pen), which is double the number of cups normally advised for that number of pigs.

The system’s supplier calculates the running costs to be 0.10–0.50 DKK per cubic meter of water.

To access more information, contact RPIG (Denmark): Claus Hansen or EUPig@ahdb.org.uk

The water purification system is fully automated

This project has received funding from the European Union`s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 727933.