Suevia blog

In November 2021, we traveled to Suevia in Eersel for a course on drinking trough techniques. Aside from product knowledge, we gained valuable insights into the importance of clean drinking water.

I’d like to share some general knowledge, tips, and interesting facts:

For dairy cows, much attention is paid to their feed. Water is an essential component of their diet. Water is vital for the growth of a cow, but especially for milk production. Milk consists mostly of water. For every liter of milk, about 4 to 5 liters of water are needed. A highly productive cow producing 50 liters of milk per day needs approximately 200 liters of water per day! In hot weather, this can quickly increase by 20%.

Good water contains little iron, salts, or organic substances. The optimal temperature for drinking water is between 12 and 20 degrees Celsius.

But… how do you keep the water tasting good?

1. Clean the drinking troughs regularly and check if the cows can easily access the water.

2. A drinking trough should be freely accessible, with enough space around it.

3. Ensure there are enough drinking troughs for each cow – no more than 15 cows per trough.

4. If the cows are in the field, reduce the walking distance to the water source.

5. The ideal height of the trough should be about 60 cm from the ground.

6. As mentioned earlier, the ideal water temperature is between 12 and 20 degrees Celsius. At higher temperatures, bacteria grow faster, which affects the taste of the water.

Contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal issues, diarrhea, or poor growth.
A taste issue can lead to a cow drinking less water, which also affects their feed intake and, as a result, their growth or milk production.

How can you assess the quality of your water?

Scoop some water from the drinking trough and place a beer coaster on top of the glass/sample. Let the sample rest for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, observe the water’s clarity, color, whether there are particles at the bottom, iron flakes floating around, or if it smells. Clean water should be clear and odorless.

In addition to clean drinking troughs, it’s also important to ensure the pipes are clean. Open each connection and feel inside with your finger. Do you feel any dirt? This is likely biofilm. Biofilm is a slimy layer of microorganisms that attach to the surface of the drinking troughs and the pipes. You can have the pipes cleaned professionally or try to clean them by loosening the connections and flushing the pipes with air.

Another factor that can reduce water intake in cows is stray currents, leakage current, or static electricity. Stray currents can be found near high-voltage power lines or railways. Leakage current occurs due to damaged electrical cables from equipment without causing a short circuit, and static electricity is generated by electrical fields, such as ventilation systems in barns. Humans can feel currents from 42 volts, but cows can feel them from as low as 3 volts. They are much more sensitive to electricity. Under normal conditions, current only flows through insulated conductors in electrical cables. However, if devices are faulty or there is poor grounding, stray currents can occur. The generated static electricity cannot be dissipated and can conduct into the water, making the drinking trough a potential buffer for the electricity. When an animal comes into contact with the ground, it receives an electric shock, which is highly unpleasant, especially considering that a cow can feel electricity at just 3 volts.

We hope this blog has provided you with additional knowledge about the importance of clean drinking water.

After the training, we were given a tour of the center, where all the drinking troughs are displayed, and through the warehouse.

The drinking trough model 10P is very suitable for horses and calves. Made of high-quality plastic, it is highly elastic. You can even stand on it, and the trough will return to its original shape. This means the trough will not break. There are no sharp edges, so there’s no risk of injury. The trough has a smoothly operating brass rod valve. Compared to a trough with a flap valve, this rod valve has only one moving part, making it easy to clean and providing easy access for replacing parts.

For cattle drinking troughs, heated and frost-free troughs, weidedrinkbakken of toebehoren, pasture drinking troughs, or accessories, we are happy to assist you.

We are very pleased with this additional training and the warm welcome from Theo. At the end of the morning, we received a nice certificate.