Water comprises 87 percentage of milk. Therefore, it is assumed essential for the whole farm animals. In order to provide animals to sustain their metobolism activities, quality water resources are required.
Clean and plenty of water should be provided in order to keep blood volumes of animals at required levels, enable the transition of nutrients to intestines, sustain digestion and metabolism activities normally and satisfy the needs of fibers. Lack of quality in water source and plant location, cause some various problems;
It is observed that; feed intake of the calf which are lack of water decrease at the percentage of 31. Besides, live weight raises of them decrease at the percentage of 38 in comparison with others. Diearrhea, disruptions in the digestive system, decreases in immune responses, the milk amount, nutrition utilization and resultant changes in nutritional behaviors are the main indicators for inadequate and unqualified water intake.
Sulphate, chloride, iron, manganese and such materials have strong effects on performance of the animals.
Animals should consume 4 or 5 lt. water per kg. Some of them are supplied from the ration, but 80- 90 percentage of these are mostly supplied by consumption. For example; the amount of daily water consumption for holstein cattle should be nearly 95- 115 lt (25- 30 gallon). Besides, the amount of daily water consumption for dairy cows in dry period should be nearly 28- 57 lt (10- 15 gallon).
Temperature and moisture, significantly increase water requirement. As being the result of heat stress; the cattle which are in the thermal- neutral temperature and high humidity places, needs water 1,2- 2 times more than others.
The distance of waterers to feeding ground should be 15 meter at most and they should be located in accessible places. In the meanwhile; their lengths and sizes should be suitable in order to satisfy the needs of animals. Dairy cows, consume water at the percentage of 50- 60 right after milking. In addition to all of these; cleaning the water tanks at least once a week, is effective for milk production.
There are some different and large- scale effects of faults about water which can be specified as below;
- Decreases in health and efficiency
- Digestive troubles and diearrhea
- Impairment of health
- Tasteless, foul- smelling and discolored water
- Digestive troubles for the people who consume water from the same source
