The well-being of cattle depends on water in every season, but especially in the summer. Too often, the importance of water for dairy cows is underestimated, but it is fundamental to ensure their well-being. After all, milk is 80% composed of water.
So, what are the important things that should not be neglected when designing a dairy barn? These include not just the position, size, height and depth of the troughs, but also the quantity and quality of the water supplied. Normally, a working dairy cow drinks over 180 litres of water per day at an average of 10/20 litres per drink.
For a quality production you need quality water, so you should pay particular attention to its composition with multiple parameters, such as hardness, PH value, electrical conductivity, nitrates and nitrites, etc.
DRINKING FOR DAIRY COWS: THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE AND THE BENEFITS
Another fundamental element to take into consideration when it comes to drinking for dairy cows is the temperature of the water supply. Several studies have established a temperature ranging from approximately 18° to 24° as ideal. Therefore, the preparation of the recirculation system in the design phase of the hydraulic system is fundamental.
Knowing how to evaluate and apply all this in a dairy cattle barn leads to countless benefits:
– higher intake of water and dry matter
– increased ruminal efficiency
– improved digestive efficiency of the rumen
– improved fermentation of long fibres
– faster ruminal transit with significant reabsorption of volatile fatty acids
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