Water consumption in piglets weaned early at various ages and fed a liquid diet]

Water consumption was recorded in 72 piglets of the Lorge White breed, weaned either on the second, sixth, tenth day or on the fourteenth day of age, this parameter was followed till the age of four weeks. The piglets were kept individually in a thermoneutral zone and they received a milk diet with macronutrient content, similar to sow's milk and water content of from 78.47%. The diet was offered to suck nine times a day in two-hour intervals. The piglet age at weaning was found to influence significantly water intake. Daily water ingestion is higher in piglets separated from the sows at a younger age than in piglets weaned later on; it reaches as much as 29% in the first group, 26% in the second group, 28% and 20% of live weight in the third and fourth groups, respectively. If converted to the metabolic weight, the percentage is still higher: more than 40% in the first group at the end of the fourth week. Although the spans of weaning beginnings were always identical in particular groups of piglets (four days), the differences in the water consumption were not the same. The differences were smaller between the first and second group, and the third and fourth group, in comparison with those between the second and third group. This fact confirms previous general statements about the periodization of early postnatal life of piglets. The beginning of weaning of the first two groups belongs to the "suckling" period, while the beginning of weaning of the other groups is within the "weaning" period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)