Cattle need plenty of water, especially during summer months when forages tend to dry out. When levels of dissolved solids, such as iron, sulfates and salts get too high, they can cause decreased water consumption. Performance can suffer. Chance Farmer, cattle consultant, offers ways of testing for dissolved solids in this article.
Source: Purina Mills.
This is not an issue of dirty water versus clean water. Your herd’s drinking water can appear clear and still be high in dissolved solids. Instead, it’s more about the mineral interactions.
INSIGHTS: Cattle water consumption not only goes up in warmer weather, but it is also locked in a vital relationship with the amount of feed intake cattle typically achieve. The article shares some guidelines on how that relationship works when it comes to drinking water for cattle:
- 23 to 75° F: 4 lbs. water required for 1 lb. dry matter
- 75 to 90° F: 5 to 10 lbs. water required for 1 lb. dry matter
- 90° F and above: 10-20 lbs. water required for 1 lb. dry matter