Page 16 - MWC 8-10-2023s

WATER CONSIDERATIONS The Midwest Cattleman · August 10, 2023 · P16

By Troy Walz and Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension

How much water do cat- portant that calves are able
tle need and what water to reach the water levels in a
problems should cattle tank, especially in hot weath-
producers watch for? er. If cows come into water first
Water quantity and quality and drink a tank down, calves
is critical to cattle health and may struggle to get a drink if
performance. Hot weather there is a slow recharge on the
and drought conditions can water tank. This can lead to
impact both water quality and stress and health problems for
quantity for cattle. calves. Depending on the wa-
How Much Water Do tering system, giving calves
Cattle Need? “creep” access to a water tank
There is an easy answer, they can reach separate from Water quality and quantity are concerns for cattle producers, especially in drought.
and there is a right answer. the cows can help to ensure from both feed and water. So Cattle standing in the
calves stay hydrated.
A general guideline is that if you have feed that’s high in water to fight flies, or walking
The importance of water to
lactating cows need two gal- beef cattle is often overlooked, nitrates, but within accept- through it to drink increases
lons of water per 100 pounds able limits, and water that is the solids suspended in the
of bodyweight per day. Bulls and cattle performance can be also high, but acceptable, the water, and the added nutri-
affected by water intake. Nu-
and dry cows need one to one combination could exceed rec- ents from manure and urine
and a half gallons of water per tritionists balance diets for ommended limits and cause may encourage algae growth.
carbohydrate (energy), pro-
100 pounds per day, according problems. Limiting cattle access to only
to the 2016 Nutrient Require- tein, vitamins, and minerals •A safe level of nitrate ni- a portion of a pond can re-
but water is the most critical
ments of Beef Cattle. trogen (NO3N) in the water duce pond water contamina-
Water needs are influenced of these nutrients. Several for cattle is less than 100 ppm. tion. Pumping water in the
by environmental tempera- factors make water needs dif- •The sulfate upper limit for deep part of a pond to a water
ture, class of livestock, weight, ficult to assess. calves is less than 500 ppm tank is a way to still utilize
Because feeds contain some
and stage of production. The (167 ppm sulfur as sulfate). pond water for cattle while
warmer it gets; the more water water, not all the water needs •For adult cattle, the upper reducing the risk of cattle con-
must be provided as drinking
cows need. Cows with nurs- limit is less than 1,000 ppm suming blue-green algae. Fly
ing calves need more water water. Feeds such as silages, (333 ppm sulfur as sulfate). management can also help cut
green chop, or growing pas-
than dry cows. As cattle gain Symptoms of nitrate poison- down on the amount of time
weight, they need more water. ture are usually high in mois- ing include brownish discolor- cattle spend in the water.
ture, while grains and hays
As an example, spring calv- ation of the blood, difficult and
ing cows will need close to 20 are low. When cattle consume rapid breathing, muscle trem- Water Testing
feeds high in water content,
to 24 gallons of water per day ors, low tolerance to exercise, Monitoring water quality is
for themselves and another they drink less water. incoordination, diarrhea, fre- a way to manage risk. Know-
5 to 10 gallons for their calf Water quality for cattle quent urination, collapse, and ing if there’s a problem before
when it gets hot. Water quality is important death. symptoms show up in the cow-
Some water comes from the for cattle health and perfor- herd is the best way to prevent
feed they eat, and grass can be mance. It’s important to check Blue-Green Algae losses to cattle performance,
high in water content. Nurs- water for nitrates, sulfates, Blue-green algae can be or death.
ing calves meet some of their and blue-green algae if a prob- toxic to cattle, and it grows Taking a water sample and
daily water needs with their lem is suspected. in stagnant water, lakes, and submitting it to a lab for anal-
dam’s milk. However, it’s best Nitrates ponds. When there’s a lot of ysis may take a few extra min-
to plan on making sure cattle Nitrates are of elevated blue-green algae, it makes utes, but if you’re out checking
have access to the full recom- concern in drought conditions. the water look like someone water anyway, it’s not much
mended amount of good-qual- The total intake limit for cat- has dumped a bucket of light extra effort for the knowledge
ity water. It’s particularly im- tle is the combined amounts green or turquoise paint in the that the water is safe. While
ponds and dams are often the
water.
Signs of blue-green algae most questionable in quality,
JUG Livestock Waterers poisoning are diarrhea, lack of the water in tanks and troughs
WesLynn Enterprises coordination, labored breath- may also need to be tested.
ing, seizures, convulsions, and Occasionally, events such as
possibly death. More informa- drought or flooding may im-
tion on blue-green algae can pact the quality of water from
be found in the BeefWatch a well or other source of water
article Blue-Green Algae Im- that is being used for livestock.
pacts on Cattle. Warm tem- Testing the water provides in-
peratures and sunlight can formation needed to know if
cause algae to grow rapidly, the water is safe for use. Prior
so keep an eye on that in both to collecting a sample, con-
Performance Tested for over 25 years ponds and tanks. Routinely tact the lab for a test kit and
Clean Fresh Water Every Time cleaning tanks and utilizing collection instructions to en-
Open Bowl Design
Draw Tube for Natural Drinking Action a copper sulfate treatment or sure a representative sample
Feed Trap Keeps Feed out of Water Reservoir chlorine treatment can help is taken and that the lab can
No Flap, Disks or Balls for animal to move keep water tanks free from complete the analysis needed.
www.weslynn.net Ph: 515-771-6036 moss and algae.