Did ya’ll know that not all water is equal? There is water and then there is Water. I cannot stress enough the importance of good quality water to promote the good health of a herd. Ya’ll humans don’t drink dirty water and expect to stay healthy, so why do you think it’s OK for us bovines to do so?Just for your information, we bovines drink about 3 times as much water as we do grass or hay, and we die very quickly without it.
So what do ya’ll ranchers need to look out for in your water? Sulphates. High levels of sulphur can affect us in 3 ways: a) by reducing the amount of feed or grass we eat; b) sulphur toxicity can cause neurological problems; and c) sulphur interferes with the availability of copper that can lead to trace mineral deficiency.
So, ranchers, my advice to you is “Test your water sources” if ya’ll want to keep your herds healthy.