The quality of the water cattle drink has a significant influence on their performance because it drives nearly every function within the animal. Feed digestibility, milk production, weight gain and reproduction all depend on water. And it sets the metabolism rate.  

Water also has a major impact on forage digestion in the rumen. Cattle are unique because the rumen provides nearly 40 gallons of water storage. If cattle aren’t getting enough quality water, the rumen won’t be able to turn forage into energy and add pounds of production. 

Know what you have

Conducting quality tests on your water sources at least once a year is a good idea to understand what your cattle are ingesting. By knowing the quality of your water sources, you can address issues through changes to your nutrition program or water source management. Your Purina® representative or even your local Extension agencies can help with water quality testing. 

A water quality test can be especially beneficial during drought since lower water volumes lead to minerals concentrating together. 

Also, if you see reductions in feed or mineral intake that you can’t account for, consider testing water to see if it’s the source of the issue. 

What to look for

Water quality test results will show the type and amount of mineral in your water. High quantities of iron, magnesium, sulfates, nitrates, nitrites and salinity in water can negatively impact cattle performance. 

Sulfates can limit the amount of water cattle will drink. When iron and sulfur are present together it can create antagonisms, inhibiting how well other minerals are digested. High salt content in water may cause cattle to lower their mineral intake because they won’t seek out salt as much. Magnesium in higher amounts leads to looser manure because the digestibility of forage drops due to lower retention time in the rumen. 

During drought conditions, excess phosphorus and nitrogen in water sources can produce blue-green algae blooms. Toxins produced by blue-green algae negatively impact the nervous system and liver, reducing performance and, in severe cases, leading to mortalities. 

Address water quality issues

The most common way to fix issues with water quality is to find a different water source. If you use natural sources like ponds or streams, drilling a well or accessing treated water may be a consideration. Similarly, if well water is your primary option, building a pond or hauling water is an alternative to consider. However, getting new water sources is expensive, so you may have to look for other options.  

If you have blue-green algae, dilution can be a good solution by providing an alternative water source. You can also treat the water with copper sulfate to kill blue-green algae, but cattle shouldn’t drink from the pond for at least five days after treatment. 

Providing supplemental mineral is a way to nutritionally offset the impacts of poor water quality for cattle. After testing water quality, work with your local Purina® dealer to identify a mineral mix that will work best for your herd. For instance, if your water source has high sulfates or iron, you should feed your cattle organic trace minerals to offset this and keep the rumen and other bodily functions working efficiently.

Does your cattle nutrition program stack up? Find out with a Purina^® Proof Pays^® feeding trial.