Clean water sources are absolutely essential not only for humans, but also for livestock. It’s proven that when livestock have unlimited access to clean water, their weight increases as well as milk production, while lowering disease and illness rates. Polluted water on the other hand negatively impacts your livestock, bringing the possibility of death to your animals. This means it’s very important to keep cattle troughs clean for your cattle.
Next up are 4 tips to maintain clean cattle troughs and aid in the health of your livestock.
- Water sources
The first thing you should do is test water sources for pH, salts, dissolved solids, nitrates and fecal bacteria. You’ll also want to make sure there is enough water to supply all your livestock. You’ll have to consider if your water source is on the surface or underground. Water that comes from wells is usually safe from drought and muddy waters brought by floods. Remember wells use electric pumps to get the water out. This means you’ll have to have alternative water sources ready in case the power goes out.
- Excluding other living organisms
Algae and wildlife can have a very negative impact on the drinking water stored in your cattle troughs. Keeping troughs in the shade will reduce algae, which needs sunlight to reproduce. As for wildlife, it will always be attracted to a clean water source, so it’s important to minimize their impact on the quality of the water. It’s very common that small animals such as birds or mice fall into the trough and drown. Water will not only be polluted by the animal’s carcass but also by its feces and/or urine. It’s important to install escape ramps to give trapped animals the opportunity to get out of the water and not contaminate it.
- Access to water and location of throughs
Cattle troughs should be located at least 46 meters away from feeding areas. This helps minimize contamination from feed waste. Locating feeding and drinking areas away from each other also helps manure to be distributed more evenly in the pasture. Installing gravel pads around the troughs will protect your animals’ hooves, while elevating the troughs will help avoid fecal contamination.
Cattle like cool water and won’t drink as much if it’s warm. Avoid shallow water troughs where the water heats up quickly. It’s also key to know static water heats up quicker than water being pumped from a well. Placing the troughs in the shade is a good idea to keep water cool and free from algae, as mentioned above. It is important to be mindful of leaves dropping in the troughs and contaminating the water though.
- Cleaning cattle troughs
Cattle troughs need to be cleaned periodically, regardless of the source the water is coming from. Bacteria and sediment will build up and need to be removed. Cattle troughs should have physical debris removed and be disinfected at least twice a year. It’s possible more than one clean will be needed during late spring and summer. To check on the water in the cattle trough, make sure the water is always clear, never colored, or murky. Also make sure algae is not matting the surfaces of the trough. And be aware of any unpleasant smells such as mold, rotten eggs, sewage, or animal waste. Also, make sure to test the water’s chemical properties as not all contamination is visible. The water could have high concentrations of metals, minerals and dissolved salts. Water should also be tested for fecal coliform bacteria contamination.
