Water quantity and quality for dairy cattle

1
Water quantity and quality for dairy cattle
By Virginia Ishler Dairy Alliance Nutrient
Management
2
Water an important nutrient

• Total body water content of dairy cattle is
  56-81 of their body weight.
• Transport nutrients to and from cells
• Nutrient digestion and metabolism
• Elimination of waste material
• Excess heat (perspiration)
• Proper fluid and ion balance
• Fluid environment for the fetus

3
Water an important nutrient

• Loss of water from the body occurs via
• Milk production (25-35 of total water intake)
• Fecal (30-35 of total water intake)
• Urine (15-21 of total water intake)
• Sweat
• Vapor loss from the lungs

4
Water Quantity

• 80-90 of the cows water needs comes from
  drinking water.
• Amount of water consumed depends on
• Body weight
• Age
• Milk yield
• Dry matter intake
• Temperature
• Relative humidity
• Water temperature, quality, and availability
• Moisture content of the feed

5
Predicting water intake

• Equation 1
• Total water intake (lbs./day)
• (4 x DMI ) 4FCM 25.6
• Drinking water intake (lbs./day)
• Total water intake ration water intake
• Ration water intake DMI/DM - DMI

4FCM (0.4 x lbs. milk) 15 x ( fat/100) x
lbs. milk
6
Predicting water intake

• Equation 2
• Water intake (lbs./day)
• 35.25 1.58 x DMI (lbs./day)
• 0.90 x milk yield (lbs./day)
• 0.11 x sodium intake (grams/day)
• 2.65 x weekly min temp oC

What is the difference in predicted water intake
using these 2 equations?
7
ExampleHow much H2O will this cow consume?

• Information needed
• Milk production 80 lbs. of 4 FCM
• Dry matter intake 54 lbs.
• Ration dry matter content 45
• Sodium intake 44 grams
• Mean temperature 70oF or 21oC

oF to oC (oF 32) x 0.5555
8
Equation 1 Includes ration water content

• Total water intake (lbs./day)
• (4 x 54 lbs ) 80 lbs 25.6 321.6 lbs. of
  water
• Drinking water intake (lbs./day)
• 321.6 lbs. 66 lbs. 255.6 lbs or 30.7
  gallons.
• 54 lbs. DMI/0.45 54 lbs 66 lbs. of ration
  water.

9
Equation 2 Includes Na and Temperature

• Water intake (lbs./day)
• 35.25 (1.58 x 54 lbs./day)
• 0.90 x 80 (lbs./day)
• 0.11 x 44 (grams/day)
• 2.65 x 21 oC

120.57
72
4.84
55.65
253.1 lbs or 30.4 gallons
10
Estimated water intake for a 1,350 lb. lactating
cow producing 40 100 lbs.

• Milk prod. DMI Mean Min. Temp.a
• lbs./day lbs./day 40oF 50oF 60oF 70oF
  80oF
•  
• 40 42 18.4 20.2 22.0 23.7 25.5
• 60 48 21.8 23.5 25.3 27.1 28.9
• 80 54 25.1 26.9 28.7 30.4 32.2
• 100 60 28.5 30.3 32.1 33.8 35.6

gallons per dayb
Source Water for Dairy Cattle. Guide D-107. New
Mexico and Oklahoma Cooperative Extension. aMean
min. temp. is 10 to 15oF lower than mean daytime
temp. bOne gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs.
11
Additional comments on factors affecting water
intake

• What about diets containing very high moisture
  ingredients, i.e. wet brewers, high moisture
  silages?
• Decreased drinking water is affected more by the
  decline in DMI than the moisture content per se.

• Metabolic water
• During metabolic oxidation, water yields (ml/g
  tissue) are 1.07 from fat, 0.40 from protein, and
  0.50 from carbohydrates.
• Metabolic oxidation contributes metabolic water,
  however, this is an insignificant source.

12
What about non-lactating animals?

• Dry cows
• 7 to 13 gallons per day.
• Calves and heifers
• 1 mo 1 to 2 gal.
• 2 mo 1.5 to 2.4 gal.
• 3 mo 2.1 to 2.8 gal.
• 4 mo 3.0 to 3.5 gal.
• 5 mo 3.8 to 4.6 gal.
• 15 18 mo 5.9 to 7.1 gal.
• 18 24 mo 7.3 to 9.6 gal.

13
Drinking Behavior

• Water consumption is usually associated with
  feeding or milking.
• Cows may consume 30-50 of the drinking water
  intake within 1 hour after milking.
• Rates of 1 to 4 gallons per minute (higher value
  in free-stall barns)
• One watering device for every 15-20 cows or 2
  feet of tank space per 20 cows.
• Ideally, waterers should be located at milking
  parlor exit and within 50 feet of the feed bunk
  (or at every crossover in freestall barns).

14
Drinking Behavior

• Research at MSU pattern and quantity of water
  consumed.
• First calf heifers- avg. 63 lbs milk
• 16.7 gallons of water in 13 drinks daily
• 17.7 minutes spent drinking, avg. drink was 1.4
  gal and the rate was 1 gal/min.

• Older cows avg. 83 lbs milk
• 23.6 gallons of water in 14.9 drinks per day.
• 19.1 minutes spent drinking, avg. drink was 1.9
  gal and the rate was 1.2 gal/min.

15
Drinking behavior Heat Stress

• USDA research showed total water loss from the
  body increased by 58 in non-lactating cows at
  86oF vs. 68oF. (sweat)
• Loss of water in feces decreased 25, but
  increased 54 26 via respiration and urine.
• Lactating cows increased drinking water
  consumption 29 in warmer temp.
• Fecal water loss dropped 33, but loss of water
  via urine, skin surface and respiratory
  evaporation increased 15, 59 and 50,
  respectively.

16
Drinking behavior Heat Stress

• Cows consume less water in high humidity vs. low
  humidity environments.
• Water intake is very DMI driven. DMI decreases
  during hot, humid conditions.
• Reduced ability by the animal to employ
  evaporative heat loss mechanisms.

17
Drinking behavior Heat Stress
NO STRESS
MILD STRESS
MEDIUM STRESS
SEVERE STRESS
18
Drinking behavior Water Temp.

• Water temps between 60o-80oF appear most
  acceptable to dairy cattle.
• Research studies conducted in Texas and Florida
  examining effects of chilled water (50oF).
• Variable milk production response.
• Cows prefer warm water over chilled.
• Costs associated with chilling are not warranted.
• Chilled water has to be the only source if used.

19
Water Quality

• pH
• Total dissolved solids
• Sodium, potassium, sulfate, chloride
• Affects on the dry cow ration
• Nitrates

20
Water pH - Acidosis

• Recommendations - pH 6.5 to 8.5
• Lower and higher water pH has been blamed for
  acidosis problems.
• Water may be a contributing factor, but the
  ration and the physical environment has a greater
  impact than water ever would.
• Focusing on water only will not solve an acidosis
  problem.

21
Total Dissolved Solids - Intake

• Salinity
• Sodium, Chloride, Bicarbonate, Sulfate, Calcium,
  and Magnesium
• No differences observed in drinking water intake
  on high saline water (TDS 4,400 mg/L) vs. low
  saline water during cool temperatures.
• Differences observed during the summer months.
• Higher water intakes observed on high saline
  water vs. normal.

22
How does water affect dry cow rations?

• Specifically DCAD
• Dietary Cation Anion Difference
• Cations are Sodium and Potassium
• Anions are Chloride and Sulfur
• Example
• 1400 lb dry cow
• DMI is 30 lbs.
• Water intake is 11 gallons or 92 lbs.

23
Water - DCAD

• Diet Avg.
  water Farm A water Farm B water
• Variable of DM ppm ppm
  ppm
•  
• K 1.60 9 20 9
• Na 0.15 22 34 22
• Cl 0.85 20 20 250
• S 0.40 36 36 500
•  

• DCAD,
• mEq/100g DM -1.40 -0.013
  0.07 -1.63

24
Water - DCAD
Diet Avg.
water Farm A water Farm B water Variable of
DM ppm ppm ppm   K
1.60 9 20 9 Na 0.15 22
34 22 Cl 0.85 20 20
250 S 0.40 36 36 500  
DCAD, mEq/100g DM -1.40 -0.013
0.07 -1.63

•  
• Diet Water,
• mEq/100g DM -1.413
  -1.33 -3.03
•  
• Total meq/day -196
  -161 -868

25
How does water nitrate level affect dairy cattle?
26
Nitrate General Information

• Nitrate
• In the rumen source of N for synthesis of
  bacterial protein
• Can be reduced to nitrite
• Nitrites reduces oxygen-carrying capacity of
  hemoglobin
• Symptoms of acute nitrate poisoning
• Asphyxiation and labored breathing
• Rapid pulse
• Frothing
• Blue muzzle/bluish tint around eyes
• Chocolate-brown blood

27
Ration Nitrates

• DMI Feed NO3-N Factor NO3-N intake
• lbs. ppm mg
•  
• Corn silage 14.3 1200 .454 7791
• Haylage 7.9 580 .454 2080
• Hay 1.7 200 .454 154
• Shelled corn 9.2 30 .454 125
• Canola 4.6 20 .454 42
• Roasted beans 3.1 24 .454 34
• Soybean meal (HT) 1.4 20 .454 13
• Cottonseed hulls 3.6 3 .454 5
• Cookie meal 4.1 15 .454 28
• Sugar 2.1 - - -
• Min-vit mix 1.9 - -
  -
• 54.0 10,272
•  
•  

28
Nitrates Ration Water

• DMI Feed NO3-N Factor NO3-N intake
• lbs. ppm mg
•  
• Corn silage 14.3 1200 .454 7791
• Haylage 7.9 580 .454 2080
• Hay 1.7 200 .454 154
• Shelled corn 9.2 30 .454 125
• Canola 4.6 20 .454 42
• Roasted beans 3.1 24 .454 34
• Soybean meal (HT) 1.4 20 .454 13
• Cottonseed hulls 3.6 3 .454 5
• Cookie meal 4.1 15 .454 28
• Sugar 2.1 - - -
• Min-vit mix 1.9 - - -
• 54.0 10,272
•  Water 258 20 .454 2343
•  
• Total 13,070

29
Nitrates Total Ration

• 13,070/454,000 / 54 x 100
• 0.053 NO3-N content of total diet as DM
• (Reasonable level is 0.04 to 0.09)

Possible problems Total diet, ppm None up
to 400 Impaired infertility 401-1300 Reduced
gains 1301 1700 Clinical symptoms over 1700
Convert to ppm - 0.053 X 10,000 530 ppm
30
Nitrates Worse Case Scenario
31
Nitrates Ration Water
DMI Feed NO3-N Factor NO3-N
intake lbs. ppm mg   Corn
silage 14.3 1200 .454 7791 Haylage 7.9 580
.454 2080 Hay 1.7 200 .454
154 Shelled corn 9.2 30 .454 125
Canola 4.6 20 .454 42 Roasted
beans 3.1 24 .454 34 Soybean meal
(HT) 1.4 20 .454 13 Cottonseed
hulls 3.6 3 .454 5 Cookie
meal 4.1 15 .454 28 Sugar 2.1 - - - Mi
n-vit mix 1.9 - - - 54.0 10,272  Water
258 200 .454 23,426   Total 33,698
32
Nitrates Total Ration

• 33,698 /454,000 / 54 x 100
• 0.14 NO3-N content of total diet as DM
• (Reasonable level is 0.04 to 0.09)

Possible problems Total diet, ppm None up
to 400 Impaired infertility 401-1300 Reduced
gains 1301 1700 Clinical symptoms over 1700
Convert to ppm - 0.14 X 10,000 1400 ppm
33
General Recommendations

• Test suspected forages/water
• Suspected or high nitrate forages
• Introduce gradually -adaptation reduces risks
• Limit meal size
• Feed more frequently
• Feed at least 3-5 pounds of grain
• Limit dry matter intake/single meal if forage
  contains gt 1100 ppm NO3-N.

34
Summary

• Water is important both quantity and quality.
• Very little research is available to define lower
  and upper limits of when problems will occur.
• Rely on commonsense
• Handling problem herds
• Water is unlikely the sole problem, but it may be
  a contributing factor.
• Nutrition and feeding management affect cows more
  that water, under normal conditions.
• If water quality is an issue, calves, young
  stock, and dry cows probably are experiencing
  problems as well as lactating cows.

35
(No Transcript)