Cows are Thirsty Enough to Drink a Bathtub Full of Water Everyday!

Water is an essential part of a cow’s diet. Dairy cows drink 30-50 gallons (about a bathtub full) of water each day. At our farm, every pen has several water troughs that provide an unlimited amount of free-choice water to the cows. 

One of the water troughs in the barn

There are also water troughs in the milking parlor so cows can drink right after they are milked. Our goal is to provide the cows with as much fresh water as they can drink.

Cows drinking after being milked in the parlor

The water at our farm is clean and filtered. That’s right, our cows drink filtered water. In May 2007, we installed a water filtration system. This was necessary because the water from our wells has high levels of iron and manganese which causes an odor the cows can smell and taste.

Iron and manganese in water doesn’t present a health hazard to dairy cattle. However, the presence of these minerals creates a taste and smell the cows don’t like. If it doesn’t taste good, they drink less which can lead to health problems.

Our water filtration system utilized a series of filtration tanks with the end product being clean, clear, palatable water the cows love to drink. 

The water filtration system

The comfort, health and well-being of our cows is the #1 priority on our farm. So, we make sure they have the best quality feed and water available.