Content
Drinking bowls for pigs differ in the device, the principle of operation. If in the 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 should drinkers meet
Regardless of the material of manufacture, the principle of operation, the drinker must meet the requirements:
- The drinking device should provide free access to pigs, not create obstacles.
- The tightness of the structure is mandatory. When the water is only available to the pigs for drinking, the liquid will not spill around the drinking bowl. The likelihood of the formation of mold, dirt, and the growth of bacteria will decrease.
- A stable water supply plays an important role in the growth process of pigs. Animals constantly need liquid. Water is poured to the pigs with a reserve or auto-drinkers are installed, connected to a centralized water supply system.
- Drinking bowls must be kept clean at all times. They are washed from contamination, disinfected once a day. The safety of the structure is important. Pig drinkers 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 life of the drinkers. Pigs are by nature clumsy and sometimes mischievous. If the structure is made of brittle materials, they will quickly break it.
- When using technical water, it is advisable to put filters in front of the autodrinkers. To prevent the liquid from freezing in winter, they adapt electric heating.
The drinker will meet all the requirements when it has a stable supply of clean water.
Types of drinkers for pigs and piglets
Pig houses are fed from cans, buckets, troughs, and other devices. You cannot consider such options for a farm. It is not very convenient even to use pots and buckets at home, since the pigs turn them over, pour the liquid contents over the barn. In professional pig breeding, a piglet drinker with an uninterrupted water supply is used.
Nipple
The most complex water supply system is considered to be a nipple drinker. The pig covers her mouth like a nipple. Hence the second name - teat drinker. The system can be connected to multiple water supplies. Each circuit is equipped with a valve, a filter element, and a seal. The nipple itself is attached to a metal tube.
The effectiveness of the nipple system has made it popular, the most requested in many pigsties. To drink water, the pig covers the nipple with its mouth. The liquid enters the mouth immediately with the opening of the valve. Due to the fact that water does not come into contact with a contaminated container, it stays little in the air, it is constantly clean. The likelihood of contamination of pigs with pathogens is reduced. After finishing drinking, the pig releases the nipple, the valve shuts off the water supply.
Benefits:
- In terms of the economy of water consumption, the nipple drinker for pigs outperforms other analogues.
- Complete hygiene is ensured. The sealed system prevents pathogenic flora from entering the drinking water.
- Little material is used to make teat drinkers. The system is distinguished by its versatility 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, additional costs for the purchase of nipples. Initially, efforts must be made to train the pigs to drink from the teat.
Vacuum
The simplest vacuum system works according to the principle of an auto drinker for pigs. Such devices are used for poultry, rabbits. The drinking bowl for pigs consists of two parts: a bath and a container with a supply of water. The first element is a sturdy sealed box without a top cover. 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 acts as a capacity for water.
The principle of operation is based on the creation of a vacuum in the vessel. The bottle is filled with water, turned upside down, and placed on the bottom of the tray. A small portion of water flows out. When the pig drinks it, the liquid is automatically added from the bottle.
Benefits:
- low cost of the system, simplicity of design, the possibility of self-production;
- the pig quickly masters the autopilot due to the availability of water;
- containers are easy to wash, disinfect at any convenient time.
The downside is the inability to use for adult pigs. The water in an open bath becomes dirty quickly, it must be changed frequently, and the drinking bowl 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 lightweight. Even small pigs manage to knock it over.
Cup
The drinking bowl is equipped with a container from which the pig drinks water. Uninterrupted fluid supply is carried out through the valve. The system works like a toilet cistern. When the bowl is empty, it rotates upward on an axis. The valve opens, a certain amount of water is collected, the container is lowered, and the liquid supply is stopped. The pig drinks water. The light bowl rises, the valve reopens, and the cycle repeats. Sometimes drinking cups are equipped with a pedal. The pig steps on the mechanism, water is supplied. When the animal moves to the side, the pedal rises, the valve shuts off the fluid supply.
Benefits:
- easy access to drink, pigs get used easily;
- saving water, no splashing;
- easy assembly of the system without the need to invite masters.
The disadvantage is the same flimsy design, the rapid contamination of the bowl by pigs.
How to do it yourself
The easiest ones to make at home are vacuum-type drinkers and pipe troughs. However, in terms of sanitation, they have many disadvantages. If you try, you can make a nipple drinker for pigs. You just need to purchase a nipple, figure out the principle of installing the system.
In the video, assembly and installation of a drinker for pigs:
Material selection
Usually, a do-it-yourself drinker 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 is easy to dispose 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 lends itself poorly to washing and disinfection. Seams that require careful sealing are a problem. Otherwise, water will constantly flow out through the cracks.
- Plastic washes well, is resistant to corrosion, but the fragility of the material does not make it popular in the manufacture of drinking bowls. Pigs of such structures quickly gnaw, overturn, crush.
- Metal is considered the best material for drinking bowls for pigs. To prevent the structure from rusting, use galvanized or stainless steel. Sharp edges are processed with a grinder grinding wheel to reduce the risk of injury to the animal.
Having decided on the material, they think over the very design of the drinker for pigs, start manufacturing.
How to make a pipe drinker for pigs
If you decide to stay with a classic pig trough, make it easier from a pipe. There are a few simple steps to follow:
- A piece of pipe with a diameter of 350-500 mm acts as a workpiece for a drinker. The older the pig, the larger the trough will be required.
- The pipe is dissolved with a grinder lengthwise into two parts. You can cut it in half, but it is better to make one part larger. There will be less water spill from a deep drinker.
- The side ends of the pipe are sealed with plugs. Transport handles can also be welded here.
- Legs or just two pieces of a thin tube are welded to the bottom of the trough from the outside. The device will ensure the stability of the drinker.
The pig device is ready. The edges of the drinking bowl are well polished from burrs and welding scales, put in a pigsty, and water is poured. Due to rapid contamination, it is changed at least twice a day.
How to make a nipple drinker
It is more difficult to manufacture, but a nipple drinker is considered more effective. You will need a large container for a supply of water, hoses, fittings, nuts, clamps. Nipples are bought as many as the pigs need drinking bowls. A plastic barrel with a lid is suitable for the container.
Manufacturing procedure:
- Having stepped back from the bottom of the barrel, holes are drilled. Their number corresponds to the number of pigs that will use the drinkers. The diameter of the holes corresponds to the section of the fittings. They act as adapters for connecting the hose.
- A fitting is inserted into each hole with a thread. Putting metal washers and rubber gaskets, tighten with nuts.
- Hoses are attached to the ends of the fittings coming out of the barrel and clamped with clamps. Nipples are pushed onto their other end. The length of the hose should be sufficient from the barrel to the pig pen.
- The barrel is placed on a hill. It is optimal to weld a stand out of metal. Place the barrel as close to the pig pen as possible to reduce the length of the hose.
- The nipples are attached to a tube or fixture near each pig pen. You can think of a mounting plate.
If the 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 right through the adapters.
Drinking bowls installation
Regardless of the design, any drinker in the pigsty must be correctly positioned. The main requirement is for height. The parameter depends on the age and physique of the pigs:
- Youngsters weighing up to 15 kg of nipples are placed at a height of 15 cm from the floor. When using a bowl, the maximum rim height is 7 cm.
- For piglets weighing 20 kg, the nipples are placed at a height of 25 cm.The edge of the bowl is raised to 11 cm.
- For juveniles weighing 20 to 50 kg, the nipples are 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 nipples are raised to 72 cm.The maximum height of the sides of the bowl is 32 cm.
The tilt angle of the drinker is similar to the age of the pigs. Youngsters are placed at an angle of 15-20 about... For adult animals, an angle of 45 is preferred about.
It is undesirable to supply high water pressure to the system. It is optimal to maintain the parameter in the range of 2-4 bar.
Conclusion
Drinking bowls for pigs are best bought factory-made. The 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.
