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Value of Water?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
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Since there are several conversations going on the various cattle sites right now about "efficient cattle" and amounts of feed- I wonder what everyone thinks about the fact that it has always appeared to me that those fellows lucky enough to have an artesian or freeflowing thermal well seem to get by with less feed- or that their cattle have an easier time staying in good condition during the cold winter months...

I never lucked out and found artesian on my place- but have a neighbor that the water flows all year around at about 65-70 degrees ( hired hands kids used to swim in the cow tanks in January) -- but it always seemed that the fact that these old cows that had all the warm water they wanted & didn't have to use energy/feed to warm the water- and the fact the warm water must help for body heat seemed to reduce the amount of feed they needed....

Wondering what others think?
 
Water is the best and cheapest feed there is.I just rented 80 acres just across the fence from where we winter cows it's not alot of pasture mostly wood's and brush.The best part is a shallow gravel bottomed creek that runs open all winter.I put in a gate and the cows can get a drink any time they want.It's spring fed which makes the $600 yearly rent worth it just for the water.For a winter feeding area what more could I ask for,free flowing water and a natural windbreak.
 
I don't doubt that warm water is probably better than licking snow but I'mnot so sure about tanking up on cold dugout water when it's real cold. There seems to be a bit of shivering going on then-we use snow most winters and it lets us scatter our cattle out a fair bit.
 
Not sure about that, but I do know that good fresh water in general is always better. When going to the sale barns in the fall, you can just pick out the calves that have had to drink poor water. They are ussually not as fleshy, and the hair always looks bad. These calves come in alot lighter than the calves with good water.
 
Have talked to some people who had warm water artesian wells in northern Texas.

It only makes sense that the energy needed to heat water consumed by cattle to body temperature is a substancial waste.
 
I wonder what is harder on the cow though-warming up a mouthful of snow every few minutes or taking on ten gallons of cold water in one shot. Cows on snow tend to take a bit at a time while they are eating-they just don't stand around eating snow till they aren't thirsty any more. warm water no doubt would be the best but they get by just fine licking snow-i'd put watering on a dugout or river in third place-I've had some bad deals on them.
 
NR, Do you mean your cattle don't get any water in the winter??
I have missed a day of breaking ice before but are they every thirsty when I show up.
 
We dont worry about snow and ice here in Texas,trade one set of problems for another.
I was visiting with a friend in East Texas once,admiring his cattle and his artesian well, flowed into a nice stock tank,cattle laying around resting,when he said notice anything differnt about those cows, no flies the water is high in sulpher and is a good fly repellent,in Texas the horn flies can be brutal some years...........his was the only place I ever saw that had no fly program,and not a fly on a cow.................good luck
 
After-thought.....We are spending billions of dollars protecting our oil sources. Shouldn't we spend some of that money on our water sources.
We can live without the oil....but we cannot live without water.
 
Purdue University did a study a few years back.

The results were based on the cost of hay, corn, and electricity.

I can't find it right now but if my memory is not to far off I would plug in $2.00 corn, $40.00 mixed hay and $0.055 KWH

What I do remember clearly is they put 42F as the break even point at that time. If you heated the water more than that it was costing more for electricity than letting the cows warm it inside but if you let the temp drop below even if it was free of ice the cost to warm it up in increased feed intake was more than the electricity.

I have ritchie fountains but I added 3" of extra insulation in an effort to provide even warmer water at a reduced cost. I have my thermostats set for 40F and check regulary and find the only time I find that temp is early in the morning when they have not been drinking. As soon as they start drinking the temp goes into the mid 50sF and stays there untill late at night.

There is deffinitly a cost involved just as any other input. Now what is best for your operation?? You will need to make that decision.
 
They are knee deep in the white stuff right now-we don't have live springs or artesian wells and I hate dugouts in the winter time. Our cows have used snow for 20 plus years-it's funny everybody pawed their horses out on snow and never thought anything of it for years.
 
In thinking back to the university study I don't think they put any cost on drinkers - - - - I assume they felt all cattle were drinking from waters that had just appeared.

I can see where cattle that know how to get by on snow might need a little extra feed but in many cases the cost of providing drinkers might break the bank. The cost of operation can be managed to a low value but a good drinker and the needed plumbing can add up quickly.
 

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