Along with shade, cattle need plenty of clean water on hot days. Beef cows and bulls need 18 to 27 gallons per head daily. Dairy cows need even more. Cattle under heat stress, especially if they are grazing endophyte-infected fescue, need 2 gallons of water per 100 pounds of body weight. Adequate drinking space and water flow is also important.
Cattle tend to drink in groups.
If most of the water in their trough is consumed by the aggressive cows, the performance of the rest of the herd may drop. Cattle performance is better in pastures where animals have access to shade, according to a study by University of Kentucky agricultural engineers. The researchers equipped two herds of cattle with devices to measure body temperature day and night. The cattle grazed fescue pastures infected with the endophyte, which causes reduced performance. Shade structures help cattle in grazing paddocks.