The top uses of water in swine barns are drinking and cleaning. Reducing water through water conservation strategies will reduce the cost of production and have a more sustainable environmental effect as less manure is produced. Most barns audited pre-soak rooms before washing, though this may not be needed as high pressure washing in fully slatted flooring does not need soaking. If grower-finisher areas have partially slatted floors, pre-soaking is still beneficial. The lowest time spent washing and water volume consumed is from washing with the conventional nozzles. Conventional nozzles and evaluated if pre-soaking is needed can help farms reduce water consumption and related costs.
Washing Procedures, Auditing Best Management Practices (full article)