How Much Water is Required for Livestock?
The feed requirements of livestock is carefully considered by producers and much time, energy and research goes into determining those requirements. But are these same producers as concerned with the water requirements of livestock?
Water is an important factor when it comes to the digestion of carbohydrates, fats and protein. Water also helps to rid an animal’s body of waste following digestion and helps it to get rid of toxic metabolic products including urea. Therefore, water can make a more significant and immediate impact on an animal than poor quality – or lack of – feed.
Water also significantly impacts production in that it accounts for a majority of milk production. Further, when an animal is pregnant, water helps to maintain the health of the mother and the offspring and prevents gestational issues. Water also regulates body temperature and reduces the effects of heat. Finally, when an animal is sick medication is better administered with water since sick animals often will continue to drink water even if they stop eating.
So what are some of the factors that influence water requirements in livestock?
- The Type of Animal. Cattle require more water than sheep and goats because of body size and metabolic production. Further, cattle are less able to survive when water is scarce.
- The Age of Animal. Water requirements vary according to age. This is largely because of the percentage of water in an animal’s body at different stages of development.
- Temperature. It makes sense that animals require more water when temperatures increase. The fact that cattle, for example, will eat less when it is hot out means that they also are getting less water through feed.
- Moisture Content in Feed. More water is required if livestock feed contains less moisture. Hay or straw, for example, contains less moisture than silage so more water will be necessary for the animal to remain healthy.
- Energy Sources in Feed. Diets high in starch will require more water when compared to diets that contain a great amount of fat.
Protein Levels in Feed. The amount of water required by an animal will rise in proportion to the amount of protein in the food it is eating. More water will be required for the body to get rid of excess nitrogen. The source of protein in the diet also impacts how much water an animal will consume. Studies show an increase in water consumption if an animal’s diet mainly consists of soybeans. Adding fishmeal to feed also leads to more water being consumed because it contains large amounts of salt.
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