A study on the water intake of growing and fattening pigs depending on the live weight and diet composition
2008
Ilchev, A., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Pavlov, D., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Miteva, Ch., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Nikiforov, I., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria)
A balance experiment with 9 animals divided into 3 groups was conducted. Each experiment included a 5-day preliminary period and a 5-day analytical period during which the urine and faeces were collected. The animals were placed in special individual cages with a grid floor and double bed which allowed easy collection of urine and faeces. The animals were fed with 3 types of highly nutritive combined feeds. The control group was fed according to the requirements of “Danbred”, for the animals of the 2nd group the content of crude protein (CP) was increased with 15% above the norms, and for the 3rd group the protein content of the combined feed was decreased to 85% as compared to the norms. The results obtained demonstrated that the utilization of mixtures with high protein levels in pigs feeding is not economically and ecologically substantiated, because of the increased price of the combined feeds, increased water intake with 17.2% compared to the control group and changed the ratio water: feed from 2.0-2.5 : 1 to 2.8 : 1, and increased the amount of excreted urine with approximately 20%. Increased urine excretion requires voluminous equipment for manure storage and increases the costs for its scattering.
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