July 6, 2015 By
Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County
As temperatures increase, so does the water requirement of our
livestock. Most livestock owners know the nutrient content of the grains and
forages they are feeding their livestock and can tell you if the feedstuff is
low, medium or high quality. Do you know how your livestock water quality
measures up? Water is the most essential of all nutrients required for our
livestock but often other than making sure that water is available in
sufficient quantity, little thought is given to the quality of that water. A
lactating dairy cow has the highest daily water requirement of any of our farm
livestock, consuming on average 25 gallons of water per day. Given that milk is
87% water, it is understandable that the daily water intake is so high. A
lactating beef cow will drink on average 14 to 15 gallons per day; lactating
sheep between three to four gallons per day, goats between two to three gallons
per day and a lactating sow around five gallons per day. However the quantity
of water consumed can be influenced by quality factors such as odor, taste,
physical and chemical properties, mineral content, toxic compounds and
microbial contamination. If quality is not adequate then consumption decreases,
which can affect animal performance and health.
To Read More, Click the following link:
http://ocj.com/2015/07/livestock-need-good-quality-drinking-water/
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