Profit Tips for Cows

Top 9 Reasons Water Quality Matters for Dairy Cows

Calves need good water to thrive. Research conducted by Donna Amaral-Phillips, Ph.D., Extension professor of animal science, University of Kentucky, shows depriving calves of fresh water decreases starter intake by 31% and weight gain by as much as 38% when compared to calves provided free-choice water. Common signs of poor water intake and quality in calves1include: increased incidence of scours and digestive upsets; decreased immune competence; depressed daily gain and feed efficiency; and increased off-feed events and erratic eating behavior.

The impact of water issues is diverse and far-reaching. Common symptoms that could signal dairy water quality issues include:

• Health or performance concerns in cows

• Digestive upsets or scours in replacement animals

• Deteriorating health status of newly arrived heifers or dry cows

• Off-flavor, smell or color of drinking water

• Digestive upsets in humans drinking from the same water source

Dissolved solids impact dairy cow performance. It is important to test water quality, and total dissolved solids should be one of the first things to evaluate. This single test provides a reading on the sum of all the dissolved and suspended inorganic matter present in a water sample. High concentrations of dissolved solids such as sulfate, chloride, iron, manganese and nitrates are known to significantly affect animal performance

Drinking water provides 60%-80% of dry and lactating cows' water needs, while feed provides most of the remaining necessary water. Water requirements vary based on a cow's level of production and the environmental temperature .

Poor water intake and quality in lactating dairy cows 2 can impact health. The results range from depressed immune function to decreased fertility and from increased off-feed events to erratic eating patterns.

Dairy cows require adequate amounts of water to maintain blood volume, tissue function, rumen activity and proper flow of feed through the digestive tract.

Dairy cows spend 4 to 5 hours per day eating and only 20 to 30 minutes per day drinking water. Make water easy for cows to access to meet hydration needs.

Water accounts for 87% of the milk a cow produces. Therefore, providing clean, safe water is critical to maximizing production. Remember to clean water troughs daily. Testing water is not a good use of money if water troughs are not routinely cleaned.

Following air, water is the nutrient required in the largest quantity by dairy cattle. A cow consumes 30 to 50 gallons of water per day.

Management tips for optimizing water consumption

• Provide direct access to clean water as cows exit the milking parlor

• Ensure adequate flow rate to maintain a minimum water depth of 3 inches in the trough

• Provide available trough space of 3.5 linear inches per cow

• Have at least two functioning water stations available per pen

• Provide access to water within 50 feet of feed bunk

• Monitor stray voltage in areas near water troughs

• Clean troughs are essential to optimal water intake

Source: Dairy Herd

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• Water Quality
• Water Management