Veterinary column
How important is it to provide water to my young calves when it’s cold outside? We live in the Midwest, and this task is more difficult to complete when temperatures outside are below freezing. Is the hassle of frozen buckets worth it if the calves are not drinking much of the water we offer them?
A.T., Minnesota
The exact amount that they consume is variable and depends on age, environmental temperature, volume of milk fed, and diarrhea status. However, on average, we can expect 1- to 3-week-old calves to consume at least 1 to 2 liters per day in addition to their milk or milk replacer. Older calves, calves in hot environments, and calves with diarrhea will consume larger volumes of fresh water.
Providing fresh, warm water immediately following a milk feeding often serves to “train” calves to drink the water as soon as it is offered. The key is to provide warm water within 15 to 30 minutes of their milk meal in order to keep them interested. You want to offer water before they go and lie down when they are sleepy from their serving of milk and less motivated to get up to drink water.
It is important to remember that moderate to severe diarrhea can easily double fluid requirements from loss of fecal water and lack of intake from a poor appetite. We still want to provide at least 2 to 4 liters of oral electrolyte solutions per day in calves that experience moderate to severe diarrhea to counteract the simultaneous loss of electrolytes along with large volumes of water. Calves receiving oral electrolytes still need fresh water to assist in the hydration process and prevent toxic levels of sodium in their bloodstream.
Provide water continuously during warm weather, especially when calves are fed a restricted milk diet or during periods of heat stress. During the coldest days of winter, offering just 1 to 2 liters of warm water right after their milk meets their behavioral motivation to drink, supports hydration during mild cases of diarrhea, encourages starter consumption, and is often completely consumed before the water freezes. Any leftover water can be dumped to prevent freezing in the buckets.
