More hygiene, less waste, better performance: WATER SABER PLUS
What are the benefits of using the WATER SABER PLUS plastic hanging drinker designed and manufactured by Sephnos, featuring plastic guards for metal nipple drinkers, compared to a wall-mounted nipple drinker with or without a bowl for finishing pigs?
The pendulum-style hanging nipple drinker offers several advantages over a wall-mounted nipple drinker with a bowl, particularly in terms of hygiene, flexibility, accessibility, and reduced water contamination. However, one important point should be considered: bowls generally waste more water and tend to become dirty more easily. The best choice depends on the pigs' age, production stage, flooring system, drainage, and overall management practices.
Benefits of the Hanging Nipple Drinker
1. Cleaner and Fresher Water
The main advantage of a hanging nipple drinker is that it does not store exposed water. The pig activates the nipple and receives fresh water directly from the supply line. In contrast, bowls can accumulate feed, saliva, dust, feces, and urine. Kansas State University notes that bowl drinkers can accumulate feed, urine, and feces, while nipple drinkers provide a continuous supply of fresh water.
This is particularly important during the nursery and finishing stages because contaminated water can reduce water intake, increase bacterial contamination, and contribute to digestive problems.
2. Less Cleaning Labor
A hanging nipple drinker has fewer surfaces where feed residues and organic matter can accumulate. By design, a bowl acts as a container and therefore requires frequent cleaning. If the bowl becomes dirty, pigs may reduce water consumption or drink contaminated water.
For large farms, this represents a significant labor advantage: fewer bowls mean fewer drinkers to clean.
3. Easier Height Adjustment
A hanging drinker can be raised as pigs grow. Proper height adjustment is essential because an incorrect position increases water wastage and makes drinking more difficult.
PIC recommends adjusting drinker height regularly. For 90° nipple drinkers, the nipple should be positioned at the shoulder height of the smallest pig in the pen. For angled nipples, it should be slightly above shoulder height.
A wall-mounted bowl drinker is more difficult to adjust. If it remains fixed, it may be suitable for one weight range but inadequate for another, becoming too low for larger pigs or too high for smaller ones.
4. Better Access in Large Pens
A hanging drinker can be installed in a central or wet area rather than being limited to the wall. This improves accessibility and helps reduce competition and social dominance among pigs.
PIC also recommends placing nipple drinkers in wet areas and providing adequate access regardless of the drinker type.
Wall-mounted bowl drinkers may limit access because pigs must approach the wall, where dominant animals can block smaller pigs from drinking.
5. Lower Risk of Fecal Contamination
Low-positioned bowl drinkers become contaminated more easily. PIC warns that bowls installed too low are more likely to be contaminated with fecal material.
A properly installed hanging nipple drinker minimizes this risk because there is no open reservoir exposed to feces, feed, or bedding material.
6. Reduced Water Waste Compared with Wall-Mounted Nipple Drinkers
An interesting point is that a hanging nipple drinker does not always waste less water than a bowl drinker, but it can waste less water than a poorly installed wall-mounted nipple drinker.
According to a report from the University of Nebraska, swinging waterers reduced water usage by 11.1% and manure volume by 16.2% compared with conventional wall- or fence-mounted nipple drinkers, without affecting animal performance.
The Pig Site also reported that a hanging drinker reduced manure volume by 14% compared with a fixed nipple drinker, although a stainless-steel bowl drinker achieved even greater water savings than the hanging system.
A Few Important Considerations
The hanging drinker offers several important advantages.
When the primary objective is water conservation, hanging drinkers are an excellent option. Kansas State University indicates that nipple drinkers generally waste less water than bowl drinkers. Pigs also tend to play more with wall-mounted drinkers because spilled water falls directly into the drainage system or manure pit.
On farms where water costs, manure storage capacity, or slurry management are critical, the hanging drinker can be an excellent investment. However, proper installation, correct drinker height, and appropriate water flow are essential for achieving the best results.
Summary
The WATER SABER PLUS hanging drinker from Sephnos provides superior performance in terms of hygiene, flexibility, accessibility, water efficiency, and ease of management.
Although bowl drinkers are a good alternative, they generally waste more water. In addition, when medications are administered through the drinking water, increased water wastage also increases medication costs.
Technical Recommendation
For growing and finishing pigs, especially in pens with good drainage or slatted floors, we recommend the WATER SABER PLUS hanging drinker if you are looking for:
Cleaner water.
Less bowl cleaning.
Better adaptation to different pig weights.
Lower risk of fecal contamination.
More flexible installation.
Reduced sanitary maintenance.
Better access for pigs housed in large groups.
Make Every Drop Count
Invest in a drinking solution designed to provide better hygiene, reduce water waste, and improve water management during the growing and finishing stages.
Contact Sephnos today to request more information or a customized quotation. Our team will be pleased to help you find the best solution for your operation.