A model to predict voluntary water intake (WI) of a pig fed a known diet in
a known environment is described. The daily retentions of protein, lipid,
water and ash were estimated over time using a published pig growth model.
Food intakes were estimated using published methods. WI was estimated by ad
ding the amounts required for digestion (WD), faecal excretion (W-fec), gro
wth (WG), evaporation (WE), urinary excretion (WU) and by then subtracting
the water arising from feed (WF), from nutrient oxidation (WO) and synthesi
s of body constituents (WS). WD was predicted assuming an absorption of wat
er of 0.10, 0.16 and 0.07 kg/kg digestible carbohydrate, crude protein and
lipid respectively. W-fec was estimated taking into account the water assoc
iated with the undigested protein (0.86 kg/kg), diethyl ether extract (-12.
11 kg/kg), crude fibre (1.86 kg/kg), ash (-0.42 kg/kg) and N-free extract (
4.4 kg/kg). The basal level of WE was estimated from the heat production of
the pig fed ad libitum (MJ/d) as: 0.25 x (metabolizable energy - energy re
tained as protein and lipid) x 0.4, where 0.25 is the assumed proportion of
the insensible heat loss at the comfort temperature and 0.4 is the water l
ost per MJ dissipated heat. WE in a hot environment was predicted by assumi
ng that evaporation increased up to three times the basal level to offset t
he decreased sensible heat loss. To predict WU a water requirement for rena
l excretion of 2.05 and 3.40 kg/osmol excreted N as urea and minerals respe
ctively was assumed. The urinary load of N and minerals was predicted from
the intake of digestible nutrients and their retention. From the oxidation
of 1 kg carbohydrate, protein, and fat it was assumed that 0.6, 0.42 and 1.
07 kg water (WO) were released respectively. WS was predicted by assuming a
release of 0.16, 0.07 and 0.57 kg water per kg retained protein, retained
lipid coming from digestible lipid, and retained lipid coming from digestib
le carbohydrate respectively. The model is strongly rooted in a theoretical
structure. When its predictions were compared with data from suitable expe
riments, the results were not significantly different. Both the pattern and
the magnitude of responses of the model to changes in body weight, feed in
take and environmental temperature are sensible and it allows a fuller pred
iction of voluntary water intake than the methods currently available.