Please direct all questions and comments to Dr. Christian De Kimpe Livestock production Livestock production depends on ready access to water of suitable quality. The main use of water is for drinking, but it is also used to clean facilities, sanitize equipment, and dilute manure. Water is important to animal growth and maintenance of body tissues, reproduction, and lactation.
Animals lose body water in expired air, milk, urine, and feces, and by evaporation from the skin.
Animals whose water intake is restricted, either because of limited supplies or poor quality, will likely eat and grow less and be less productive. In some cases, they may become sick and even die. How much an animal drinks depends on the species physiological conditions, such as age and whether the animal is lactating environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, activity level, and water content of the feed. For example, a lactating dairy cow may drink 70 to 140 litres daily, whereas a dry cow requires only 35 to 60 litres daily. Table 3-3 shows average daily water requirements for different types of livestock.