Water setups for stock after fires

Water is critical to avoiding health issues, maintaining production and meeting animal welfare needs.

Unfortunately, in many cases, water tanks, pipes, troughs, and pumps have been destroyed or damaged due to these fires.

Even where this infrastructure is still operational, if larger numbers of stock are confined to a small area of the farm, it can result in inadequate water supply.

At this time of year, beef cattle can consume up to 100 litres per day and sheep up to 10 litres/day, with lactating animals requiring even more.

At these rates, a semi-trailer load of water would be needed every six to seven days for 50 cattle or 500 sheep.

While meeting daily water demand is an essential requirement, it is equally important to ensure trough flow rates are adequate.

Low flow rates can lead to health and welfare problems, increased competition at troughs and damage to water infrastructure or surrounding fencing.

Under normal conditions, livestock should be able to access their full daily water requirement within a four-hour period.

This helps manage peak demand, reduce competition and support dry matter intake.

For 50 cattle or 500 sheep, this equates to a required trough flow rate of 21 litres/ minute.

In emergency situations, a lower flow rate may be acceptable, provided animals can still access enough water and are monitored daily.

A typical emergency supply might involve a tank, a 100m length of two-inch polyethylene pipe and a trough. To achieve a flow rate of 21 litres/minute, a minimum 2m head of water would be required.

This could be achieved by maintaining a base volume of 2m of water or by raising the tank up on a mound of well-compacted soil.

When setting up an emergency water supply consider:

– Clem Sturmfels, DEECA land management extension officer