Water
Water is the most essential nutrient for life. Cattle can
live for many days or a few weeks without food but
will die within a few days without water. Water needs
to be fresh, clean, and plentiful to ensure maximum
intake. The temperature of the water does not seem to
affect cattle very much. Research indicates that cattle
readily drink water that is 40 – 90° F. Water intake
will vary with environmental temperature and dryness
of the feed. Cows eating lush grass on a cool spring
day will drink much less water than cows grazing the
same field in the middle of summer or cows eating hay.
Water requirements for cattle are given in Table 1. A
good rule of thumb is cattle need 1.5 gallon for every
100 lbs of body weight.