Watering Your Piggy

A very crucial element to your pigs health is an unlimited supply of clean water. This can be accomplished by making sure all water receptacles are cleaned daily. Get a long handled scrub brush. While you are filling your pigs dish scrub the waterbowl out with this. If you don't have or can't find your scrubbrush you can use a handful of clean straw as a scrubpad. Make sure that you scrub thoroughly enough to remove all the microscopic unseen algae out of the bowl, rinse it very well then refill it. Your pigs water is only as clean as the water bowl itself. Bleach is an excellent agent to use for a monthly disinfectant. If you would not drink out of his water bowl you should not expect your pig to.

Residue is very bad and behaves like a host for harmful microscopic organisms to take hold. First the microscopic organisms attach themselves to your pigs water container. When the container is filled with the new fresh water the organisms are set free to swim in the new pool that you have just made for them. Then your pig drinks the water with the unseen micro-organisms, the micro-organisms go down the esophagus waterslide screaming, "Yippee! This is fun!" Then they attach to the small and large intestine using their flagella and suck on the walls with their pluscotmous and play a slow sneaky harmful game of Marco Polo right inside your pigs body. The after-effects create such damage as the inability to create enough digestive acid to breakdown and absorb important nutrients, and can create ulcers by concentrating the digestive acids to the organ linings, and a plethora of other caustic effects.

If you have chlorinated city water, water management will be easier for you. Well water makes a much better host. Stainless steel makes a great non-porous receptacle to contain your piggies water, it is much easier to clean than plastic and is unbreakable, it is also refractive, making the heat from the sun refract up and out of the pigs waterbowl therefore keeping the supply cooler. Glass or ceramic is good although it is breakable.

It is a hot day in the summer and you notice that your pig did not drink enough water. You are worried and and have great reason to be. You can create an enticing palatable liquid suspension by mixing orange juice into his or her water to encourage them to drink a good daily supply of water. Orange juice is wonderful for your piggy. It contains citric acid that pigs need. They will not only love the taste of it, they will thrive on the essential nutrients. Careful observation of daily liquid intake is of utmost importance for your pigs survival. On hot days you can add ice to their water, making it more satisfying. Or try adding a twist of lemon or grapefruit juice is good. Mix one cup of juice to 2 - 4 cups of water.

Remember to have summer fun with your piggy and enjoy a drink treat together. It is interesting and challenging to help them use a straw or a sippy cup too.
© Kari Nord 2002