Water is essential for many biological functions, such as animal digestion and thermoregulation. Adequate access to clean drinkable water supports better feed consumption and more efficient nutrient absorption. On average, adult cattle consumes between 10 to 20 gallons of water per day depending on size, diet, and weather conditions. Bad taste and odor due to contamination with excessive algae, salt, nutrients, bacteria, or manure impact water consumption by livestock reflecting which negatively impact animal performance (i.e., milk production, weight gain) and health. There are several types of algae that can occur in water tanks and some, such as cyanobacteria, can cause toxicosis in livestock.
Water sources can become contaminated due to deposition of soil, excreta or other compounds by livestock animals and wildlife. It is important to check water sources and quality conditions often. Animals should have access to unrestricted clean water to support overall animal performance. Below, there are three tips to maintain clean water sources:
- Plan the location of water sources. When building new livestock operations or renovating old ones, plan to place water throughs around 150 ft away of feeding areas (i.e., feeding bunk, hay feeding) to avoid deposition of feed inside the throughs. Thus, place the throughs on an elevated concrete pad to decrease risks of deposition of excreta. For areas with limited drainage, the use of gravel helps to avoid damage to hooves.
- Limit access by wildlife. While it is difficult to completely restrict access by wildlife to water throughs, steps should be taken to minimize it. Wildlife can deposit feces and urine, and small rodents and birds can also become trapped, and their carcass can introduce pathogens such as Leptospira. Closed-ball systems can be an ally in helping on maintaining water quality. Then, when not in use, emptying the water throughs can help to decrease use by wildlife.
- Clean water sources regularly. Water throughs should be cleaned often to avoid buildup of heavy algae mat (Fig. 1). It is recommended to chemically clean throughs at least once a year. Under heavy use and deposition of feed or other sources that may contribute to decrease the water quality, then the throughs should be cleaned more often. When checking the quality of water, it should never be colored, fully covered with algae mat, or have strong odor. For help on how to properly clean your tank or through using chemical disinfectant, please consult your local Extension agent.
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Fig. 1 Water trough with algae mat. Keeping clean drinking water on water troughs require maintenance.
Submitted by Liliane Silva, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist,
Forage-Livestock Systems, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University
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