Test Your Water for CMR Mixing
When it comes to choosing calf milk replacer [CMR], we know that not all “white powder” is the same. Various products may look similar, but can vary vastly in composition and value to the calf. The same is true for water.
Considering that water makes up 85-88% what is presented to the calf, it is arguably the most important ingredient of all. Most water looks the same, yet its invisible contents can fluctuate tremendously. When used to reconstitute milk replacer, those variations can be troublesome for calf health and growth.
Potential Issues
The issues that may cause calf setbacks are:
Mineral overload – Extremely hard water can contain excess calcium, magnesium and/or iron. Because we select and screen ingredients based on their mineral content and carefully balance CMR for vitamins and minerals, we want the water portion to contain these ingredients within acceptable ranges, so it doesn’t throw the whole ration out of balance.
Excess sodium – Conversely, using softened water to reconstitute milk replacer also can cause serious problems. If we overload the liquid ration with sodium, high osmolality will cause more water to be drawn into the calf’s abomasum. This creates a dual problem of scours and dehydration.
Metalloid poisoning – Arsenic, copper, lead and selenium all can be toxic to livestock, especially young animals. These materials can enter the water supply through natural deposits in the earth, or from nearby mining activity or row-crop production. Their levels can fluctuate significantly when the water table is drastically altered in periods of either extreme drought or flooding.
Nitrogen toxicity – Nitrates that run off from nitrogen-fertilized fields, lawns and recreational areas can rise to unacceptable levels in drinking water. While we worry about high nitrates in forages in very dry years, the opposite is true for water. It is more likely to be high in nitrates in wet years. Too much nitrogen is not likely to kill calves, but instead will cause a drag on growth and performance.
Bacterial contamination – High levels of coliform bacteria in water can cause calves to scour. Manure run-off is the likely source of this contamination, but human sewage from metropolitan areas also has been identified as a source. A coliform count over 1 CFU/100 mL is considered dangerous for calves.
Collectively, these substances also can contribute to unsafe Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in water.
In addition to mixing milk replacer, free-choice water is critical to successful calf development because it promotes rumen development, improves starter grain consumption and aids in overall digestion and growth.
We recommend routinely testing your water at least twice a year, and when any major change has occurred that could affect the condition of your water supply. This could be acquisition of a new facility, or extremely dry or wet weather conditions that affect the water table in your area.
Your Strauss Feeds representative can assist you in taking and submitting water samples, as well as interpreting results. Each sample is evaluated at a third-party laboratory. The easy-to-interpret report will show recommended levels of various substances, and where your sample falls on that spectrum, in a graphic like this:
When testing your water, be sure to collect samples of both cold and hot water. You may be surprised to find quite different results between the two, as sometimes water composition can be altered as it travels through a farm’s boiler or water heater.
If you want to learn more about water quality for your calves and older cattle, some excellent bulletins have been published by the University of Kentucky and Iowa State University.
At Strauss Feeds, we are deeply committed to producing consistent milk replacer products that are balanced to promote excellent calf health and performance. Reconstituting those products with safe, clean water is essential to achieving the best overall results, and we are happy to help you with water testing to ensure that positive outcome.