Water Management on Pastures: Water Requirements

Table of Contents

1. Water Requirements
   • Table 6-1
2. Other Water Management on Pastures Recommendations
   • Blue-Green Algae Poisoning
   • Livestock Watering System Alternatives
   • Moving Water With Pump And Gravity Systems
3. Related Links
   
   

Water Requirements

Water is an essential part of every animal's diet. An animal dies more quickly if deprived of water than food. A newborn animal is made up of 75%-80% water while 50% of a mature animal is water. Water is needed for digestion, absorbing nutrients, excreting waste and regulating body temperature. It is essential that pasture animals have an adequate source of clean water available at all times.

The amount of water an animal needs is affected by body size, milk production, feed intake, maturity of the plants being grazed and the weather.

Animals obtain some of their water requirements from their feed. Livestock grazing young, lush pastures do not need as much drinking water as animals grazing old, dry plants.

Hot temperatures, long hours of daylight and high relative humidity increase drinking water requirements, while rainfall decreases demand.

Most livestock drink very little at night and, given free access to water, drink between grazing cycles. Beef cattle drink 4-6 times a day while high-producing dairy cows drink an average of 10 times a day. In dairy paddocks it is important that the source of drinking water be close at hand. Dairy cattle can not travel as far from water as beef cattle without suffering a decline in performance. Carrying capacity of individual paddocks where cattle were forced to travel greater than 250 m to water was 15%- 20% less than paddocks where water was available within 250 m. Beef cows and calves should not travel more than 0.5 km to get water before production is affected. Beef stockers should not have to go more than half that distance or 0.25 km. Sheep and goats drink very little when on pasture, and can travel more than 3.5 km for water without loss in production.

Providing good, clean water on dry footing helps prevent the spread of such diseases as foot rot. Muddy ponds, dugouts or stream banks provide a good medium for the spread of diseases.

Research by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Stavely, Alberta indicates that good quality water pumped from a stream or well can increase calf and stocker gains by 23%, compared to drinking water from a pond.

Related Links

... on forages and pastures, visit Forages and Pastures (OMAFRA)
... on weed control, order Publication 75 Guide to Weed Control: Forage Crops
... on agronomy for field crops, order Pub. 811 Agronomy Guide for Field Crops: Chapter 3 Forages
... on field crop protection, order Publication 812, Field Crop Protection Guide
... on livestock, visit Livestock (OMAFRA)