SDSU Extension is helping producers ensure their water quality is ready for livestock through on-site livestock water testing services.
“We actually measure the total salt content of the water with our meters and then it gives a really good reference for our producers whether that water is good, marginal or very poor,” said Robin Salverson, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. “So, it gives them a really good reference point.”
Salverson encourages producers to test their water quality prior to turning their cattle out on pasture ground.
“Obviously water is our major nutrient. It’s what our cattle and our sheep and every animal and us need to consume to live,” Salverson said. “So, on those really hot days, I mean cows can consume up to 40 to 50 gallons a day along with their calf on their side.”
And poor water quality can come with some serious consequences.
“Poor livestock water quality can influence or impact total production, so whether that’s pounds gained on both the cow and the calf, it can also influence or impact conception rates on the cows, our breeding stock, so not just our cows but our yearling heifers that we are trying to get bred and then also impact health,” Salverson said. “We can see a negative impact on health and that can include what we call polio.”
Polio is caused by high sulfates in the water, something Salverson says is an issue across South Dakota.
“We always thought it was just a western South Dakota issue, but it does cross the Missouri River and we do see high sulfates over there,” Salverson said. “Polio can cause death if not caught early enough.”
To prevent these issues, it’s important to get your livestock water tested.
“We always say, please test prior to turn out and then if we are at that marginal level, I actually consider having them test every couple of weeks to three weeks just because our weather conditions are obviously so variable,” Salverson said. “When we have those hot, dry, windy conditions, that water quality can really decrease rapidly.”
Source: mitchellrepublic.com
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zms
Categories: South Dakota, Livestock