SPRING SUMMER BONUS MAGAZINE 2026

Illustration 2: Cows drinking water at a trough with insuf- ficient space. Illustration 3, the water looks “dirty”, and illustration 4, the water looks a lot clearer and “cleaner”. However, when the water was analysed, the pH of these two water sources (illustration 3; illustration 4) was significantly different. The “clear” water had a pH of 4,7, and the “muddy” water had a pH of 6,1, indicating that the water that appeared to be dirty was much better quality. “The way water looks is not the only determining factor in water quality. Neither is pH.” Water intake within the milking parlour was measured. The water originally used was borehole water. The water source was changed to the dam water. Water intake was measured with flow meters. In the figure below, the blue illustrates the change to the more neutral dam water. It is clear that water intakes increased drastically with improved water quality: The “highs and lows” in the graph can be due to many factors. For example, warmer days cause higher intakes and colder days lower intakes. Conclusion Water management on dairy farms extends far beyond simply ensuring that water is available. Even when water quality is acceptable, factors such as trough size, trough placement, water flow rates, accessibility, and cow behaviour can significantly influence water intake. Because water intake is closely linked to feed intake, milk production, health, and overall performance, any restriction in access to water can have substantial production and economic consequences. Illustration 3: Cows drinking water at a trough with suffi- cient space. Illustration 4: Water trough containing dam water. Illustration 5: Water trough containing borehole water. Figure 2: Water intake in milking parlour with borehole water (before) and dam water (after). www.agribonus.co.za Spring/Summer 2026 BONUS 95