Do you know how much your cows drink per day?
I think it's quite useful and important to know. After all, water is an important part of their diet; I even call it "the cheapest feed."
Cows drink 6 to 12 times a day, usually for short periods. They can consume up to 2 Liters of water per sip. The total amount of water they drink per intake varies between 10 and > 20 Liters.
Cows prefer to drink after (robotic) milking and during/after feeding.
Milk consists of approximately 87-88% water; a cow needs an average of 4 Liters of water to produce 1 Liter of milk.
Depending on environmental factors (e.g., temperature, nutrition), this can vary between 3 and 4.5 Liters.
Water not only plays a crucial role in milk production, but it is also essential for maintaining vital bodily functions and regulating the animal's body temperature.
10 to 20% of the water requirement of cows is covered by metabolic water that cows can obtain from their feed ration.
A lactating dairy cow's water requirement is 100 to 160 Liters per day (depending on her production stage).
A sufficient supply of high-quality drinking water is therefore crucial for both the cow's health and her milk production.
Livestock farmers generally know a lot about feed and ration management, but do you also have insight into and control over the water quality, water availability and water intake of your cows and cattle?
ONE MORE THING:
Cows hate water that's either too cold or too hot, year-round!
They do NOT need extra warm water in the winter or extra cold water in the summer.
Cows drink and produce best at a drinking water temperature of 17 degrees Celsius.
Even when it comes to drinking water and controlling the water temperature, cows like regularity.
Low-Stress Stockmanship at its best!
Photos: Ronald Rongen