For optimum health and productivity, beef cattle need an adequate supply of water daily.
In a recent webinar hosted by the Beef Cattle Research Council, industry experts discussed the importance of water quality on Canadian beef cattle operations.
Dr. Cheryl Waldner with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine stressed that while water might appear clean, lab testing is the best way to determine the true quality of a water source.
She explained common problems that can occur when a beef herd consumes poor-quality water.
"Water quality is important. Poor water quality can lead to reduced number of calves on the ground, reduced weight gains in the calves that we do have, and an increased risk of disease. Poor water quality can also result in sudden animal deaths on pasture." Waldner said.
A common cause of poor-quality water is high sulphate levels, which can lead to secondary copper and selenium deficiencies.
Dr. Waldner reminds producers that nutritional issues in beef cattle typically result from multiple contributing sources, which is why both water testing and feed testing are important.
"There's a lot of us that have water with sulfate levels that are in the trouble zone, and getting a better understanding of exactly what this means is important. Can't just look at water in isolation. We've got to remember that all of these things act cumulatively: total intake, feed, and water."
Saskatchewan beef producer Karla Hicks shared how her family farm approaches water management after experiencing multiple years of drought that ultimately contributed to high levels of sulfates, cattle distress and production losses in their cattle herd.
"I've since upgraded my water sampling tool to a hockey stick with a big water jug taped to it, so I can get a long ways out into the water and get a good sample without worrying about falling in. So now we have a water tester, and I did buy it on Amazon; they're like $35. Now we take salt out, we take mineral out, and we test the water. That's just what we do all the time. It takes 30 seconds to dip the hockey stick in the water and pull the water. It takes another 30 seconds to read the test." said Hicks.
For more information on managing stock water or to watch the webinar recording, visit www.BeefResearch.ca/water.
(From the Beef Cattle Research Council)
