Many farmers who have free barns raise piglets. However, before you get such animals, it is necessary to equip the premises and install special drinking bowls for pigs. Before installing such structures, you should familiarize yourself with their features and varieties.
Primary requirements
Drinkers that are installed in a pigsty must meet a number of requirements. Therefore, before choosing a container to place water, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements that it must meet.
General requirements include the following:
- Free access for piglets to water. The structure must be shaped in such a way that the animal can easily reach the water.
- Tightness of the container. The liquid storage tank must be completely sealed so that nothing can leak out of it.
- Reliable water supply. The tank must have a special hole through which drink will be supplied.
- Strength. For a pigsty, it is recommended to choose structures made from high-strength materials.
- Ease of use. The drinking bowl should be such that it is convenient to use not only for piglets, but also for people when cleaning it from contamination.
There are also requirements for the material for making a water container:
- Durability. It is recommended to use products that are made of durable materials. Experienced farmers prefer to use drinkers made of anti-corrosion metal. Plastic structures should not be used, as they are not resistant to mechanical damage and break quickly.
- Availability of an additional filter. Installed filters help purify the water. They need to be changed regularly so that the liquid is better filtered.
- Installed pressure regulator. This element will allow you to more efficiently use the liquid in the tank.
Types of drinking bowls for pigs
There are three types of drinking structures, which have characteristic features. You need to familiarize yourself with them in advance in order to select the most suitable tank in the future.
Vacuum
Such drinking bowls are most often used for installation inside pigsties. These structures are a bowl-shaped reservoir into which water is poured. The products also have a separate container for storing liquids.It gradually flows into the bowl until it is completely filled. Then the liquid supply ends and is resumed only after the animals have drunk all the water. Experts advise using a vacuum device for feeding adults. To give water to small pigs, you will have to use a different type of drinker.
Vacuum products have a number of advantages that distinguish them from other drinkers:
- this is the most economical type of drinking containers;
- water is always in sight, and therefore animals quickly understand how to drink;
- Such structures are easy to maintain.
Despite these advantages, vacuum drinkers also have disadvantages. These include the following:
- the products can only be used for feeding pigs;
- the liquid inside the drinker quickly becomes contaminated and therefore has to be washed frequently;
- vacuum tanks are too light and are often knocked over by animals;
- It is impossible to install filters on them and therefore you have to filter the liquid yourself.
Nipple
Many farmers consider nipple designs the most convenient and use them more often than others. Products of this type have advantages that set them apart from other types of drinkers:
- Versatility. The product is suitable for animals of any age. Therefore, as the young animals grow, there is no need to buy new drinking bowls.
- Hygiene. Most nipple products are made from stainless steel and brass. These materials prevent the appearance and proliferation of bacteria in the liquid.
- Economical. Design features allow you to use water more economically.
- Easy to care for. Nipple structures are easily cleaned of dirt and disinfected.
Such devices are made from the following components:
- Pacifier. Used to supply liquid.
- Regulator.This part is responsible for regulating the flow of water.
- Filter. Nipple drinkers are equipped with mechanical filtration components that are used to purify the water.
- Frame. Most often made of steel, which is resistant to rust.
Cup
Cup products differ from others by the presence of small sides on the sides. It is because of them that they got their name. Such drinking bowls can have different sizes. Therefore, you will have to buy different products for adult and small animals.
In such drinking systems, water is not supplied constantly, but only when it is really needed. It enters the container through a special valve, which lowers when the mechanism is pressed.
Drinking cups have advantages, which include the following:
- Easy to use. Piglets will not have any difficulties using such drinkers.
- The liquid remains inside the bowl and does not splash around. It does not splash because of the high sides on the sides.
- Economical use of water. Liquid can be saved due to the fact that it is poured out only after using the valve.
Cup products also have disadvantages. Among them are:
- the water quickly becomes dirty;
- drinkers are inconvenient to clean, and therefore the cleaning process takes longer than half an hour;
- During cleaning, you have to rinse not only the container, but also the valves with tubes.
Required tools and materials
Some people decide not to buy drinking bowls for piglets, but to make them themselves. However, before you begin, you need to prepare the materials and tools that may be needed. Nipple drinkers are most often made. To create them, you will need the following:
- Nipples.This is the main material needed to create a drinking bowl. It is impossible to make it yourself and therefore you will have to buy it.
- Plastic tube. Small tubes with a diameter of 5-6 millimeters are suitable for drinking bowls.
- Bucket or bowl. These containers will be used to store liquid.
- Grinder or file. Such tools are useful for cutting pipes. You may also need a drill to drill the holes.
How to make it yourself
The production of an automatic drinker for piglets is carried out in several successive stages, which you need to familiarize yourself with in advance:
- Pipe preparation. First you need to cut the purchased plastic tube. It is cut to such a length that it does not interfere with the animals’ ability to reach the container. For example, for small pigs weighing 20-25 kilograms, the distance should be 15 centimeters. For older pigs from one hundred kilograms, the length of the tube increases to 65-75 centimeters.
- Making a hole in the container. Its size must match the diameter of the tube used.
- Nipple installation. The part is installed inside the pipe. Then it is fixed in the hole made earlier.
- Sealing. All joints between parts are treated with sealant to prevent liquid leakage.
Installation Features
There are several requirements for the placement of drinking bowls inside the pigsty:
- Liquid supply structures must be at a suitable height. Moreover, the distance from the floor directly depends on the age of the animal. For small individuals weighing 10 kilograms, drinkers are placed at a height of 15 centimeters. For adult piglets it is placed 10 centimeters higher.
- The product must be fixed at a slight angle. This is done to make it easier for pigs to use it.
- Do not install drinking bowls too close to each other, as this will limit access to water.
Conclusion
Every farmer must install drinking bowls in the barn before breeding piglets. However, before this you need to familiarize yourself with the varieties of such structures and the features of their use.
