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This study assessed the effect of drinker type on water use and slurry characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 124 crossbred pigs [20 kg of bodyweight (BW)] were allotted to 16 pens (3–4 pigs/pen) in two time periods during the cool season (length: 97 days each). Drinker devices were: (1) pig teat, (2) bite drinker, (3) nipple square bowl, and (4) nipple bowl. There were limited differences among drinker types concerning the growth pattern of pigs during the fattening period, but target BW (100 kg) was similar in all treatments (P > 0.05). Feed intake did not differ among drinker types (P > 0.05). Nipple bowl drinker showed the lowest water disappearance during the experiment, whereas bite drinker showed the greatest values during the late fattening period (P < 0.05). Slurry production did not differ among drinker devices (P > 0.05), but slurry volume increased linearly during the study (P < 0.05). Pigs raised using nipple square and nipple bowl drinkers produced slurry with greater DM content than teat drinkers (P < 0.05). Most of the slurry fertiliser value elements (N-P-K) were significantly affected by drinker type (P < 0.05). Slurry from pigs using teat and bite drinkers had lower N-NH4, total N and K content than that from nipple square and nipple bowl drinkers (P < 0.05). Total N content of slurry on a wet basis decreased during the fattening period (P < 0.05). Improved efficiency in water use by pigs led to greater slurry N and K content, mainly due to the increase in its DM content. A negative association between water use at pig facilities and its slurry fertiliser value was demonstrated.

Twelve lactating sows were used to evaluate the effects of reducing dietary crude protein (CP) (14% vs. 12%) and increasing neutral detergent fibre (NDF) levels (18% vs. 22%) on litter performance, total tract apparent digestibility and manure composition in a 4 × 4 latin square arrangement during a 36-day lactation period. Diets were isoenergetic (2.9 Mcal ME/kg) and had similar total lysine content (0.9%). In addition, a second aim was to compare a reference external marker method (Cr O ) with an internal feed marker [acid-insoluble ash (AIA)] for the calculation of apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients in lactating sows. The reduction of dietary CP level in lactating sows had no effect on either live-weight or backfat thickness or apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients. However, the piglets' average daily gain (ADG) was reduced in low dietary CP diets, which suggests that sows reduced milk production due to an underestimation of certain essential amino acid requirements (e.g. valine). The increase of dietary NDF level did not affect sow and litter performance. Nevertheless, the total tract apparent digestibility of organic matter, CP and carbohydrates was reduced, and ether extract digestion was increased in high NDF compared to normal NDF diets equally balanced for ME and lysine content. The coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients in lactating sows were greater when using AIA compared to Cr O marker, regardless of dietary CP or NDF level, but their coefficients of variation were lower in the former than in the latter. In lactating sows, a trade-off between litter performance and nutrient digestion is established when reducing dietary CP or increasing NDF levels while maintaining similar lysine content through synthetic amino acids and balancing metabolizable energy through dietary fat sources.

Artificial slurry (4% dry matter) was prepared using fresh feces and urine obtained from four pregnant sows fed with commercial diet. Freeze-dried dairy cattle feces were used (external archaea) as co-inoculum (Co-i) and structural carbohydrates (CHO: apple pulp; sugar beet pulp; and wheat straw) as substrates. Bottles were incubated (39 6 1 C for 56 days), and the gas production was measured (mbar) and converted to the volume. A sample of produced gas was taken and analyzed for methane concentration using a gas chromatography. Bottles were opened at days 0, 25, and 56 to determine total bacteria, total, and hydrogenotrophic methanogens archaea (HMA) concentrations using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and population biodiversity using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Incubation time reduced the titers of total bacteria and archaea (P < 0.01) but did not modify HMA population. Doses of Co-i showed a positive correlation with HMA titers, although interacted with an incubation period (P < 0.001); at 5% Coinoculation, total bacteria decreased significantly (0-25 days) but remained steady until day 56 (P > 0.05), whereas at 10% Co inoculation, titers decreased constantly. Most of the archaeal DGGE bands were observed in all samples, suggesting a common microbial population origin but Co-i supply altered the DGGE structure of archaea populations.