Beef Cattle Winter Water Needs Complicated this Year
Requirements vary, so make sure you are meeting your cattle’s water requirements.
Many ponds are low due to the short rainfall during 2012. As cold weather approaches and shallow ponds freeze, there is concern among cattle producers about meeting the water needs of their cattle.
“Some farmers are already hauling water, so it’s a good idea to know how much water different classes of cattle need each day,” said Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri (MU) Extension.
Water requirements vary depending on the cattle’s size, lactation status, ration they are eating and ambient temperature. Growing heifers, steers and bulls weighing 600 pounds (lb.) require 5.3 gallons (gal.) of water a day when the average ambient temperature is 40° F. As the temperature goes up to 50°, water needs increase slightly to 5.8 gal. per head per day. Intake at temperatures below 40° does not change much.
Pregnant cows need 6-6.5 gal. at 40°. Following calving, the intake for those same cows jumps to roughly 11.5 gal. per day at 40° and 12.6 gal. at 50°.
Mature bulls require around 8.5 gal. per day at 40°. Needs increase to 9.4 gal. per head at 50°.
The moisture level of an animal’s diet varies, and that can influence actual water intake, Cole said. “A lot of high-moisture haylage and silage will be fed in the coming months. The haylage may contain 50% moisture, and an animal eating 25 pounds of it per day will consume about 12.5 pounds of moisture. This reduces the actual water need by about 1.5 gallons.”
Silage contains around 65%-70% moisture, and intake by cows may run in the 40- to 50-lb.-per-day range, or even more. That adds up to more than 30 lb. of moisture, which amounts to nearly 4 gal. of water.
“In some areas cattle may be grazing pasture that contains around 50% moisture that helps reduce the actual gallons per day required,” said Cole.
Cattle are sometimes given a supplement containing 10%-30% plain white salt that allows them to be self-fed. Under these conditions, cattle may drink 50% or more water, so be certain ponds, streams or other water sources provide ample water.
“Frozen water is less a concern now than in years gone by, thanks to the large number of automatic waterers we now see in pastures. If you still rely on ponds, make sure after a cold snap that cattle have access to water daily,” said Cole.
For more information, contact your local Extension livestock specialist.
Editor's Note: David Burton is civic communications specialist for the University of Missouri.
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