Of these nutrients, water is the most critical for all classes of livestock. Cattle have little ability to adapt to water restriction, and feed intake will be greatly reduced following only short periods without water. Because of this, a plentiful supply of good quality water is necessary for profitable beef production.
Many factors influence the amount of water required by cattle.
Table 1 shows average water needs for various classes of beef cattle. Note that water consumption varies considerably, depending on the temperature and stage of production. These allowances are not absolute requirements and should only be used as a guide in developing water sources, or as a starting point for supplying water to penned cattle. Water consumption is influenced by other factors, such as moisture and protein level of the feed, salt intake, relative humidity and the breed of cattle. When high moisture feeds such as silage or fresh forages are used, water intake as drinking water is reduced.