As you may have noticed, our weather pattern is dramatically different than six months ago. The ambient (outside) temperatures have increased. However, there is one important item in our livestock’s diet that has remained constant—water.
Not only do we need to be concerned about the availability of fresh, clean water when the temperature drops below freezing, but it also is just as important to discuss when temperatures increase.
Water is the most important nutrient in animal feeding and animal health. In all phases of growth and development, water is the most abundant ingredient in an animal’s body. To put this in perspective, a calf’s body contains 75 to 80 percent water at birth and about 55 to 65 percent water at maturity. Of all farm animals, lactating dairy cows require the greatest amount of water in proportion to their size because water constitutes 86 to 88 percent of the milk yield.
Water is the medium in which all chemical reactions in the body take place. Blood, which contains 80 percent water, is vital in transporting oxygen to the tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues, as well as being the life support system for the body. Water’s physical properties make it an important factor in the transfer of heat and the regulation of temperature in the body. Since water has a high specific heat (the ability to absorb or give off heat with a relatively small change in temperature), it is ideally suited as a temperature buffering system for the body.
The water consumption of dairy animals is influenced by many factors, including breed, body size, ambient (outside) temperature, water temperature, humidity, feed supply, salt and level of production. Generally, cattle consume 2 to 4 pounds of water for each pound of dry matter consumed and an additional 3 to 5 pounds of water per pound of milk produced. This roughly equates to an average dairy cow consuming approximately 25 to 50 gallons of water per day.
A restriction of water intake lowers feed intake and milk production. At ambient temperatures above 70 degrees F, the animal’s respiration rate begins to increase, and increasing amounts of water are lost from the lungs and by sweating. Animals may lose nearly all the fat and about one-half the protein of the body but still survive; however, a loss of about one-tenth of the water from the body may result in death of the animal.
Animals need a continuous, clean supply of fresh water. Contamination of the water supply from barnyard drainage and the presence of nitrates, pesticides, algae and certain internal parasites add stress to cows. Also, water palatability and odor, as well as high levels of minerals such as iron and sulfur, reduce consumption.
Water represents a vital part of the nutrient intake of livestock, and water quality is important for maximum performance. In quantity, it is greater than feed intake. Keep giving plenty of fresh, clean water.
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