Hog farmers should pay more attention to water quality, said Chelsea Fallis of Kemin, a global animal nutrition company.
She said most often water quality is an afterthought addressed only when it becomes an immediate concern.
Yet water is the number one resource animals need to consume daily to survive.
Without regular monitoring or testing of your site’s water, this leaves an open door to your biosecurity plan. Unchecked water can pose a significant risk to the health of your animals and bottom line, she said.
“If we’re not evaluating water as we are evaluating feed ingredients, operations are missing a huge opportunity,” she said.
She worked with hog farmers and contractors before joining Kemin and her on-farm experiences over almost six years prompted her to take on water quality as a full-time job at Kemin.
Aside from reduced water intake due to odor, taste, or temperature, inconsistent or poor water quality can cause a slew of other problems, she said.
She flags biofilm build-up in waterlines as a big issue because it can harbour pathogens and bacteria potentially impacting the efficacy of antibiotics.
What we do not know right now is how much of that antibiotic is getting eaten up in the water line before it gets to the pigs, she said.
This could lead to a perceived drug failure and a re-administration of antibiotics increasing the cost going into those animals, increased labor and time lost getting animals to recover.
“Producers are working with their veterinarians on utilizing the right drug for the right bug at the right time, and often yield less of a result than anticipated. The concern is, are we truthfully getting a therapeutic dose to the animal as expected or are we losing efficacy due to contaminants (biofilm) in the water?” she asked.
“Operations are adding some form of water treatment for one reason or another. I.e.: bleach, chlorine tabs, citric acid, apple cider vinegar with no standardization or measurement of success,” she said,
