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Weather forecasters are predicting daytime temperatures will reach the mid-20s over the weekend.
As temperatures rise, cattle will have a greater requirement for drinking water. Therefore, make sure troughs are properly working and have a quick refill time.
On outfarms that lack a piped water source or river access, water tends to be provided using IBC containers or some form of tanker.
Make sure there are extra barrels available for cattle to drink from over the weekend. Alternatively, check on cattle during morning and evenings, refilling drinking water as necessary.
Intakes
A spring-calving suckler cow with a calf at foot can drink between 50l and 60l/day. As temperatures rise above 20°C, water intakes may well rise by another 5l to 10l.
On farms where grass is scarce and meal is being fed to slow down rotations, the higher dry matter of concentrate will also increase cattle’s requirement for drinking water.
Troughs should be cleaned out in advance as any debris will reduce the water capacity available. Dirty water will also be less palatable to cattle.
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