Water is an essential part of life. A certain amount is certainly needed for growth, fetal development, lactation, and overall production. But unfortunately, despite its importance, it is something that can be overlooked very easily by producers.
If you were to ask any producer about which nutrients they are concerned with, they would tell you protein, energy, and minerals. Now while these are important, there is another that is just as important: water. Ensuring that cattle have adequate clean water is necessary for them to function.
However, providing your herd with the right amount they need requires more than just putting some troughs out. It will take planning on your part and some basic understanding of cattle’s needs and habits. Getting it right will ensure you get the maximum output from this most necessary resource.
Importance of Water
As I mentioned earlier, water is an essential nutrient in order for any living thing, including cattle, to survive. They require a certain amount in order for items to run as they should.
But how much water does a cow actually need?
A cow’s water intake requirement can vary based on a few different factors. You can see in the table to the left that the amount of milk produced will affect it. The outside temperature (obviously) can have an effect on water consumption.
In many studies, including one from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, a cow’s water intake can vary from 3 to 30 gallons a day depending on certain factors. Some factors that can affect this are their size(weight), age, stage of production, and the weather.
One important thing to remember is that the water must also be clean as well as abundantly available. Any dirty or contaminated water, like algae, can increase their chances of getting sick.
If you have any questions about the water you have, your local county extension office can help. The local NRCS office can also help with this. They will have information on setting up specific structures to have the most negligible environmental impact.
Monitor their intake
Surface water is often the primary water source for cattle in the pasture. Since it is a source for it, that means if the weather is dry enough, it can dry it up. The water source drying up can be remedied if a live water tape is near your fill tanks. If you do not have a live tap, then moving cattle out of the pasture or hauling water is your only option for the short term.
If you think hauling water will be easy, let me warn you of that. Keep in mind that a cow will drink 20 gallons, and calves will drink 5 to 8 gallons per day. I don’t know about you, but that is a lot of water that will need to be hauled, and to top it off, you can’t let it run out. A cow can go a couple of days without water which is not really the issue here. The problem comes in trampled calves at the tanks when you start dumping fresh water. If you are hauling water, you will need to do it in advance of the naturally supplied water running out. Hauling water before things dry out gives the cows a chance to establish their pecking order before it becomes a dire situation.
What size trough do I need?
Now that you have an idea of how much water your cows will need. You will need to think about how you will be delivering that water. Stock tanks are a popular choice, but they do have some drawbacks. For one, it is more likely that the water can get contaminated by the cows hanging out in it. Plus, it is unnecessary and expensive to have one dug for every place that is needed.
A water trough is generally a good idea, but there are some things that will need to be taken into account when picking which one to use.
The size of the trough that you will need will depend on the number of animals in the pasture for sure. But you will also need to factor in how far apart from each other they are. Water troughs being too far apart will make going to get a drink more of a social event. Cows prefer only to travel to places that are in sight of the others. So the entire herd will go to it at the same time.
Group activity factor
When a group activity occurs, the tank should be able to hold 25% of the total daily intake, and it should allow for 5% to 10% of the animals to drink simultaneously. If the troughs are close enough, then it should let 2% to 4% of the total herd. As with figuring bunk space, you will want there to be about 2 feet of room for each animal that will be drinking at any time.
Another thing to think about is the amount of time it would take the trough to fill back up again. In a group activity, you will want the trough to fill completely back up within an hour. On the occasion that only a tiny amount will be showing up to get a drink, then a refill time of about 4 hours could work.
How many water troughs do I need?
Studies have shown, like that with the NRCS, that cattle tend to graze less than 600 to 900 feet from any water source they have. So when figuring out how many you need, plan on the cows not having to go any further distance. When the troughs are too far apart, then some areas of the pasture will be underutilized.
I talk about how you can use certain supplements in order to improve the grazing distribution here.
On a side note: the troughs should be made of material that will be expected to last at least ten years. Concrete is a popular choice that holds up well. Used tractor tires are also popular, but be sure to clean the inside thoroughly before you use them. Also, place the trough on a solid pad (such as concrete or gravel) that is 6 to 8 feet in radius from the trough. Having this pad will prevent any mud from being formed around it that could end up causing a problem like hoof rot.
