Again, like humans, cattle need water. To give you some idea of how much water beef cattle need, when the temperature is 10 degrees Celsius (50 F), a cow requires approximately 27 litres per day (6 Imp. gal. or 7 U.S. gal.). At the same temperature, if that same cow is lactating (producing milk for its calf) she will require 47 litres (10 Imp. or 12 U.S.) per day. When the temperature rises to 26 degrees (79 F) her consumption rises to 36 litres (8 Imp. or 9.5 U.S.) and 68 litres (15 Imp. or 18 U.S.) respectively. You might find it interesting to know that dairy cows require 35- 40% more water than beef cows.
By knowing how much water is required, one is able to determine if the supply is sufficient to coincide with the grass quantity. Due to the fact that droughts are relatively common in this area, we are in the process of determining the quantity and flow rates of our water sources so we know more precisely how much supply we have in any given field. The Ranch currently has 48 dugouts, 40 dams and 62 developed or undeveloped springs.
Water quality is also very important. Poor water can be very detrimental to the health of livestock. The usual cause of unsatisfactory water results from excessive salinity with rare cases resulting from higher levels of nitrate content, alkalinity or toxic elements. Although results from testing some sources on the Ranch show no reason for concern to this issue, regular monitoring is expected to continue.
Equally important to water quality is access to water. One practice we have implemented is pumping water from dugouts (and in some cases from dams) to a trough. This has been done by using a hybrid system of both solar and wind power. Pumping water to a trough from such sources is considerably beneficial. Cattle will be healthier and perform (gain) better because they are staying cleaner and drinking more water. In addition, the life of a dugout can be also increased substantially. This has been an exciting success for us and we recommend it to all producers with similar circumstances.
