Invest in high quality water for herd

”Cows need considerable volumes of water,” he says.

“They need 35 to 45 litres per day for their own metabolism, and additionally need 2.5 litres for every litre of milk produced. On average, modern dairy cows need 110 litres of water a day.

In high-yielding herds this can easily reach 160 litres per day.”

Mr Gardner says somewhere between 20 and 40 litres per day can be provided by the water in the winter diet, with rather more coming from fresh grazed grass. But this still means most has to come from the trough.

Given this high demand, particularly post milking (see panel, below), Mr Gardner says large troughs are needed, supplied by a high flow rate. He recommends 8cm (three inches) linear access per cow in at least two locations within a building, meaning a group of 80 cows would need 610cm (240 inches) of water access.

“Having more troughs makes it easier for cows to drink and can reduce bullying,” he says.

Suitably located

“Location is also important. Consider placing troughs in cross-overs between cubicles and it will be well worth looking at putting a trough between the parlour and the buildings.”

Thirsty cows have lower dry matter intakes and consequently produce less milk, so it is also important to make sure available water is clean and appealing.

“How often do you see water troughs with straw floating on top and a brown scum of decomposing feed and saliva?”, asks Mr Gardner.

“If cows are seen lapping water, they are clearing the surface before they drink. Cows have a sense of smell 16 times more acute than a human’s.

“Try smelling the water in the trough. If you wouldn’t drink it, then cows definitely won’t. It will pay to regularly clean out troughs.

“It is also worth bearing in mind that if we have a hot summer, then water demand will increase further, so check the flow rate to troughs in fields to make sure they refill quickly and cows aren’t standing around.”

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