Summer is upon us, and with the warm weather moving in, it’s a good time to remember that proper watering is one of the most important aspects of maintaining cattle productivity. With so many ways to provide water to your cattle, it can be overwhelming to weigh the pros and cons of each, but when it comes to seasonal changes, it’s obvious why an automatic waterer is one of the smartest choices.
By using an automatic waterer, you can ensure your cattle’s water stays fresh and clean, and it also provides a more hands-off approach in comparison to troughs or buckets. By utilizing water lines as a constant source, there is less maintenance that needs to be done on a daily basis, which can help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria to you and your cattle, which have a tendency to provide problems in the summer.
Unfortunately, it’s not only bacteria you have to worry about with standing water in the summer. This environment is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, who seek out standing water and generally lay between 100-400 eggs in clusters called rafts. Keeping your water flowing can lower your chances of having to deal with this nuisance.
Automatic waterers are also a great way to make sure your cattle get enough water, and there has been a lot of research done in the area of how proper watering and adequate hydration can make for healthier and more productive cattle. David K. Beede of the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University published an article titled, “The Most Essential Nutrient: Water,” in which he states that water is only second in importance to oxygen when it comes to the performance of cattle.
“The availability of abundant, clean drinking water may become a challenge in the future as dairy farms are pushed farther and farther away from population centers and relocate,” Beede writes. Because of this, he recommends making a water management plan, and one of the key considerations when putting a plan like this together is also the most basic: exactly how you provide your cattle with their water.
Installation for automatic waters can sometimes be a tricky process, but the good news is it’s a one-time job and you’re set. Instead of having to constantly maintain troughs or buckets, you can have peace of mind in knowing your cattle will always have the right amount of water to stay hydrated. And getting them the right amount of water is important, especially because of milk production which can lead to dehydration under certain circumstances. “The water per unit of body mass of the high-producing dairy cow is greater than that of any other land-based mammal,” Beede writes. “This is because she produces a large amount of milk which is 87% water.”
But low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance. While these waterers are engineered to be dependable, they still require some preventative maintenance to ensure they operate efficiently and effectively year round. There is no hard and fast rule as to how often maintenance needs to be done, but keeping an automatic waterer in good working order is key to getting the most out of it.
If you’re interested in trying out automatic waterers for yourself, Ritchie offers a complete line of animal watering products and has maintained an unmatched reputation for quality and integrity for 100 years. We build our waterers from the ground up—from design to prototype, to end product, which allows us to ensure a high quality from the very beginning. Learn More about how Ritchie can help make providing water less of a hassle this summer.
