The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: GribinIsaf on September 20, 2015, 02:15:43 pm

Title: Cleanliness of drinking water!
Post by: GribinIsaf on September 20, 2015, 02:15:43 pm

We took in a couple of adult pigs a few weeks ago. Before they came I thought I was being very clever, laying deep water pipes and concreting in automatic water troughs. Now realise not easy to keep them clean, water gets a bit muddy. Question is, can pigs handle this or should I make alternative provision? Thanks.

Title: Re: Cleanliness of drinking water!
Post by: Bionic on September 20, 2015, 02:29:45 pm

We have an automatic drinker about chest height and that gets muddy too because their noses are always dirty but as its only small I am able to scoop the mud out with my hand. What little is left settles to the bottom so they always have clean water at the top to drink.


Are you able to clean yours out in any way?


I do think they should have clean water.

Title: Re: Cleanliness of drinking water!
Post by: Rupert the bear on September 20, 2015, 03:28:27 pm

Nipple drinkers

Title: Re: Cleanliness of drinking water!
Post by: Buffy the eggs layer on September 20, 2015, 07:43:34 pm

mine make their troughs muddy all the time and eating soil is thirsty work. They will drink it when they have muddied eat but prefer it clean. Fresh water once a day as a minimum.

Title: Re: Cleanliness of drinking water!
Post by: GribinIsaf on September 20, 2015, 08:33:34 pm

Thanks for thoughts.  Like you, Bionic, I scrape mud out of it twice daily but it still looks murky!  I have ordered some tyre drinkers - they can have muddy water 24/7 and fresh water when they get fed.