- Animals take in more water daily than feed, after all.
- Water accounts for 50-80 per cent of an animal's weight and is involved in every physiological process.
Image: SOPHIE MBUGUA
A good yield starts from the ground up! The importance of the quality of drinking water is often underestimated, yet water is the most important part of animal sustenance.
Animals take in more water daily than feed, after all.
They will also eat more feed when the drinking water is of good quality. Therefore, water determines the health of the animals to a large degree.
Water accounts for 50-80 per cent of an animal's weight and is involved in every physiological process.
Having water available to livestock allows for optimal animal performance and health. Dry matter intake is directly related to water intake, and the less an animal drinks, the less feed it will consume.
This leads to reduced weight gains, milk production, and animal performance.
Therefore, water availability and quality are extremely important for animal health and productivity.
Limiting water availability to livestock will depress production rapidly and severely. Poor quality drinking water is often a factor for limited water intake.
Water points are vitally important for nomads. If livestock die for lack of water, the lives of the people who depend on them are immediately at risk.
Statistics clearly shows that, when animals start dying during drought, human deaths soon follow. Animals do not die only of thirst, however.
Among the consequences of too little water is a weakened immune system. Moreover, where water becomes scarce, there soon will be no grazing land. The animals become weak and undernourished thus they become easy targets for parasites and infectious diseases.
Such diseases, moreover, are transmitted faster from one animal to another because of the crowding that occurs at the few available water points
It is vital that there is enough water available for the entire herd during hot weather because water requirements double when temperatures increase. Water quality affects water intake, herd health and performance.
Waterers should be cleaned frequently to ensure the water does not become contaminated. During a drought, water quality declines as the concentration of pollutants increases when water evaporates and becomes stagnant.
Contamination of drinking water for animals should be avoided at all costs. One of the ways to avoid water contamination is by preventing animals from urinating and defecating in the water source to help reduce disease transmission.
Water analysis should be taken if you suspect water is causing a problem or when a new source of water is developed. Stagnant waters may contain excessive levels of algae, which are toxic and may result in death of animals as well.
It is suggested that water be placed within 240m of all areas of the pastures. Having water in ideal locations encourages more uniform grazing, and manure distribution.
Normally, only a few animals will drink at a given time if the water is placed within 240m of the herd. Drinking will become a “social event” when livestock must walk further distances to water because they will travel as a herd.
This behavior causes lounging at the water source, manure buildup, and increased soil compaction. Placing water within 240m will reduce travel time to the water source, as well as time standing around water, increasing time spent grazing.
The amount of water an animal needs each day depends upon the animal's size, stage of production, and the average daily temperature. Different species of animals require different amounts of water. Farmers are encouraged to keep an adequate amount of clean water available for animals in order for them to perform well.
In Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, recurrent drought makes access to water for humans, agriculture, and livestock an ongoing challenge. The total demand for water often exceeds the water available to people and livestock.
This problem is compounded by weak support from government and competition for resources amongst water users, which creates the potential for armed conflict. Many communities rely on ground water accessed through boreholes or wells, as well as surface water supply structures, such as small dams and water pans.
During drought, surface water supplies are not adequately replenished and the pumps that operate boreholes and wells tend to break from overuse and poor management. Repair of pumps can be costly and, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas, critically delayed.
When water is scarce, communities may utilize water unsafe for consumption, face purchasing water at inflated prices at a time when household income is already strained, or walk long distances to reach water, disrupting other critical activities.
Water development in the African pastoral dry lands of Africa has always been a priority for humanitarian and development agencies and for governments. However, over the last decades, scientists have become increasingly concerned about the numerous adverse unforeseen effects of water policies.
Therefore, there is need to develop better and sustainable policies and strategies to keep these communities and their livestock afloat when it comes to access of clean water for drinking to protect their livelihoods.
Cynthiah Peter , KENDAT ,community development officer