At Terra NutriTECH, we believe that ‘water’ is a crucial element for maintaining a healthy herd. After oxygen, water is the most important need for keeping your herd alive and healthy. It is the foundation of what Terra NutriTech was formed on. Our customers from Terra Services (Piping Business) kept looking for a more accurate way to put liquid minerals into the farming water system. Our intelligent Opis Controller system delivers on this need for automated mineral dosing.
Because water is an excellent solvent, it often contains many different elements in addition to hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). Quality of water is a vague term but typicaly defined by characteristics such as: odor, taste, appearance, physical and chemical properties, macro- and micro-mineral content, presence of toxic substances, and microbial contamination.
Why water is so important for your dairy herd
A milking dairy cow drinks about 30 to 50 gallons of water each day. Water is probably one of the most important nutrients in a ruminant, it can be sometimes overlooked. Let’s go back to basics to get this fundamental element right on the farm. Water intake is related to cow size, age, activity, productivity and environment. It is important to measure your cows’ water intake on the farm and compare with research estimates.
Cleanliness, bacteria, chemicals, and minerals affect water quality. Poor water quality significantly reduces water intake. Cows are very sensitive to problems with water quality. The quality of water directly influences the water that cows intake.
So here are some great top tips for maintaining good quality water on a farm:
- Make sure there is plenty of available clean water
- Have a regular routine of cleaning water troughs
- Ensure troughs are set up correctly at the right height
- Get the water volume correct regarding trough size
- Ensure a good water flow rate
- Have a strategic layout to ensure enough drinkers both indoors and outside
- Allow space around water drinkers for normal social behaviours
- When it gets warm ensure plenty of clean water at the grass and indoors
- Make water quality checks part of your daily farm routine
Water is a simple but very important element of a healthy diet. Cows need a quality source of water to maintain their blood volume, to keep organs and tissues functioning, and to aid in digestion and absorption of feed. Since milk is 87% water, milk production is partly a function of water intake.
Daily intake of water will vary according to an animal’s age, size, level of activity, and level of productivity. Environmental temperature, humidity, water availability, and water quality can also impact water intake.
Delivering Minerals through the Farm Water System
At Terra NutriTECH, we perform a thorough analysis of the cow and their diet. This is taken into account to help formulate a mineral mix that ensures maximum health and production is aided. The current status of the cow, what they are, and will be consuming and issues are previously present on the farm. From this information, a mix is designed to ensure any deficiencies on that farm will be addressed.
Getting the Technology to Work at your Farm
The latest in precision data, IoT and cloud computing are employed to ensure correct dosing of supplements at all times. Our team ensure it is monitored remotely. Water usage is constantly monitored and advanced algorithms overcome variations in water consumption ensuring precise daily dosage.
Talk with our Team
Please call Ronan on 087 7086714 to find out about using an automated mineral dosing system. There are many health benefits for your cattle. Continue planning for the year ahead.
We also recommend the services of our sister company Terra Services who specialise in farming-related services and products such as water troughs and piping accessories.
