Evaluating water wastage as per various drinking systems and the study of drinking behavior of gestating group-housed sows


Fact sheet ( in French)
Features - Porc Québec, June 2019 (French)
Final report (in French)
Power Point Presentation (in French)

Building and livestock management

Aim / objectives:
In order to optimize water and barn management of gestating group-housed sows, assess water wastage as per various models of drinking systems or nipples as well as per the behaviour of the sows when drinking. 
  • Design and manufacture a system for measuring water wastage;
  • Measure the water wasted by sows for five types of drinking systems or nipples according to environmental conditions;
  • Analyze the drinking behavior of group-housed sows (using RFID readers):
    • Identify which drinking systems are used by sows the most and study the relationship between crowding at the watering point and the pen layout;
    • Identify drinking time relative to feeding time;
    • Identify the number of visits to the drinking trough, amount of water used (consumed + wasted), duration of drinking, while also taking into consideration environmental conditions.
  • Create an environmental and economic analysis of water waste reduction.

Alain Lefebvre, programmer and computer expert, Jyga Technologies inc.; Benjamin Roy and Pierre Roy, Ferme Saniben inc.
Project Manager:
Sébastien Turcotte
CDPQ Team:
Marie-Aude Ricard; Jean-Gabriel Turgeon; Patrick Gagnon