Water is More Important
than Food
 Crucial to the nutrition program for your livestock is
quality water. Consuming water is more important than consuming food. A
successful livestock enterprise requires a good water supply, in terms
both of quantity and quality. Safe supplies of water are absolutely
essential for livestock. If livestock do not drink enough safe water
every day their intake of feed will diminish and subsequent production
expectations will drop. Production will fall and the livestock producer
will lose bottom line profits.
Closer Scrutiny in
Drought Conditions
Since many livestock producers may be using unfamiliar
feeds or rations during periods of feed shortage, they should keep a
close watch over animal performance and adjust rations as necessary to
meet production requirements.
In the
absence of sufficient nutrients, particularly energy, cows lose
considerable weight. When such weight losses occur, milk production
decreases and reproductive activity may cease. The end result is
light-weight calves and unbred cows. To prevent such undesirable
effects, cows either must be provided sufficient nutrients to avoid
weight losses and maintain production requirements or they must be
relieved totally or partially from body stresses.
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