Livestock Water Needs

All animals require water to survive - that much knowledge is common sense. Determining the amount of water a particular animal requires each day can be much more of a challenge. Some animals require very little water, while others require quite a bit. The fact that grazing animals obtain a portion of their daily water needs from grass and other forages adds another area of consideration. Animals grazing on lush, green grass which averages 75% to 80% moisture will require less additional water than those fed dry feeds and dry hay containing only 10% to 12% moisture.

The total daily water need of an animal depends not only on the animal species but also on the animal’s size, condition, and the average daily temperature. A lactating animal will generally require more water than a non-lactating animal, a heavier animal will require more water than a light animal, and almost all animals require more water during high temperature days.

Here are some typical total daily water need figures for a number of different animals (which do not account for water retrieved from forages). Information for various categories within a particular animal breed are included if available. Please note that these figures are averages - there are cases where an animal’s daily water need may be greater.

Cattle	Animal Description	Daily Water Need (gallons) for 70 degrees F	Daily Water Need (gallons) for 90 degrees F
Dairy Cow	1000 lb cow producing 45 lb of milk at 5% butterfat	25.7 (80 degrees)	30.2
	1400 lb cow producing 65 lb of milk at 3% butterfat	31.5 (80 degrees)	36.2
	Dry cow	18	22
Beef Cow	Cow/Calf pair	16.5	20
	600 lb heifer	7.5	12.4
	2000 lb bull	11.6	19
	Calf	1.0 gal per 100 lb weight	1.5 gal per 100 lb weight

Other Animals	Animal Description	Daily Water Need (gallons)
Sheep		2 to 3
Goat	Meat goat	2 to 3
	Dairy goat	0.5 per 1 lb of milk produced
Horse		10 to 14
Swine	Sow and litter	8
	Gestating sow	6
	Finishing swine	3 to 5
Turkey	100 turkeys	15
Chicken	100 layers	9

Designing a water supply system for livestock can be quite complex. For instance, the required flow rate to refill a trough for a particular size beef herd depends not only on the amount of storage in the water trough but also on the number of animals that can access the trough at one time. Restricting the number of animals at the trough at one time will lower the necessary flow rate - but will also lengthen the time required to provide water to the entire herd. Some balance is necessary.

A simple calculation will allow you to determine if you have enough water to support a herd. Take the total amount of water needed per animal during the warmest part of the summer, multiply that by the number of animals, and divide that number by 1440 to obtain the absolute minimum flow needed in gallons per minute. For instance, if a farmer has 100 goats and each goat requires 2 gallons per day, then 2 gallons per day x 100 goats / 1440 = 0.14 gallons per minute. Not much water (goats require relatively little), but this assumes that you will allow the pump to run 24 hours per day and that you have somewhere to store the total water need, which in this case would be 2 x 100 = 200 gallons.

100 milking cattle would take quite a bit more water. 42.5 gallons per day x 100 cattle / 1440 = 2.95 gallons per minute pumped 24 hours per day. Operating the pump only 12 hours per day would require a flow rate of 5.90 gallons per minute. The question now becomes can your well provide this amount of water for extended periods of time? And what other demands may be placed on your well while watering the livestock?

Emergency preparedness for animals should include some alternative watering plan. If your primary water source is a well or a municipal water system you should consider some alternative watering source or system in case of power outage or natural disaster. Ponds and streams can serve as a good, low maintenance backup to wells and municipal systems during emergencies for some types of livestock. A small generator supplying power for the well pump - with a proper electrical isolation switch in the well house - is another excellent precaution, especially for confined livestock that cannot be allowed to roam to the nearest stream or pond.

Water storage tanks are a viable alternative but can become quite expensive for larger animal herds. For instance, a herd of 35 beef cow/calf pairs will require up to 700 gallons of water per day or more. If the electrical power or water source is inoperative for 3 days in the summer the farmer would have to store over 2,100 gallons of water for this single herd - and have some method to pump the water to the watering troughs. Gravity flow systems can work well for this need in certain circumstances, but storage tanks placed to take advantage of the gravity flow idea may also be more susceptible to high winds due to their increased height.

Hauling water from a creek or pond is another alternative, albeit a labor-intensive one. This would require a large tank on a trailer (500 gallons or more depending on livestock numbers), a tractor or appropriate truck, and a gasoline-powered pump. A 500 gallon tank would mean two trips to the pond or river each day to supply 700 gallons for the relatively small 35 cow/calf pair herd. Add time and labor to load and haul this water - possibly during inclement weather - and a small generator begins to look like a very attractive option!