By: Brooke Higgins,
Outreach and Resource Development Coordinator
McPherson and Edmunds County Conservation Districts
Water serves as a crucial nutrient for livestock. Animal size, diet, productivity, and air temperature determine the quantity of water each animal will need on a regular basis. Low quality water sources can be the difference in extra pounds of gain on calves you intend to sell in the fall, ultimately affecting your operation’s bottom line.
Dissolved minerals or solids (commonly called salts) are present in many livestock water sources. Solids can include carbonates and bicarbonates, sulfates, nitrates, chlorides, phosphates, and fluorides. The concentration of these solids becomes higher as the surface water dries up in the hot summer heat or during drought conditions. An increase in total dissolved solids can result in lower performance in cattle, miscarriage, blindness, central nervous system disorders and potentially death.
For most livestock, total dissolved solids should be less than 5,000 parts per million (ppm). Caution should be taken at 3,000-5,000 ppm for growing animals. Sulfates are included in the total dissolved solids number, but the recommended concentration is less than 500 ppm for calves and less than 1,000 ppm for adult cattle.
Blue-green algae can also flourish during the hot days of summer. Cyanobacteria, the name for blue-green algae, can be harmful to livestock and cause diarrhea, lack of coordination, labored breathing, and death. Nitrates that promote blue-green algae growth can enter your livestock water supply through fertilizer applications, decaying organic matter and other animal waste. Nitrates have a safe upper limit of 100 ppm.
An easy way to monitor the quality of water sources for livestock include using a total dissolved solids meter and/or sulfate test strips. The McPherson County Conservation District, Leola NRCS office, and the McPherson County Extension office all have a total dissolved solids meters available to test water samples. For more information or to set up a time to have your water tested, please give one of them a call. McPherson County Conservation District and Leola NRCS office: (605)439-3336 ext 3
A great resource for more information on the quality and safety of your livestock water sources is Robin Salverson, a beef specialist with South Dakota State University Extension. Her contact information can be found at https://extension. sdstate.edu/about/our-experts/ robin-salverson .
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