A latterly completed study of water supplies on Pennsylvania dairy farm farms find that about a one-quarter of those tested had at least one urine - tone event , and average Milk River production for these farms was about 10 percent lower than farm with proficient body of water quality .
Dairy farms swear on good - lineament water to ascertain maximum milk product and ruck wellness , according to study source Bryan Swistock , prolongation urine resources specialist in Penn State University ’s College of Agricultural Sciences .
“ While most dairy farm routinely test their pee provision for bacterium , additional testing for salts , metals and other parameter that can affect ruck performance is conduct less frequently , ” he read . “ In the fall of 2012 , Penn State Extension offered complimentary water testing for dairy farm farmers across Pennsylvania . The target of the project was to increase consciousness of various water - quality parameters that are not try out as often . These less - tested parameters may explain continuing herd functioning issues . ”
More than 240 dairy farmer who state an pastime in piddle quality received water test kits , and 174 water sample distribution from 41 counties were return to the Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory at Penn State — a 72 - percent participation rate .
The samples were analyzed for 13 common water - quality parameters that are part of the lab ’s canonical livestock water - testing software system .
Ninety - eight per centum of the water samples come from secret water well or natural spring on dairy farms . The farm in the study encompass 51,000 acres and 18,000 cows with an modal Milk River - production spirit level ranging from 20 to 90 pound of Milk River per cow per daytime . Only six—3 pct — of the farms in the study had water meter to document water use of goods and services by their herd .
“ Overall , 45 of the water supplies , or 26 percentage , had at least one piddle - quality issue , ” Swistock say . “ Average milk yield for these 45 farm was 56 pound per cow per day , compared to 62 Cypriot pound on the 129 farms with in force piss quality . ”
Swistock take down that none of the farm with high milk production ( above 75 pound of milk per moo-cow per day ) had exist water - timber problems , while 32 pct of farms with small milk production ( below 50 Ezra Loomis Pound of milk per moo-cow ) had at least one possible water - quality trouble .
“ Penn State Extension boost Fannie Merritt Farmer with water - quality issues to set up water meters to evaluate the ruck ’s urine - white plague level , ” Swistock state . “ We also advocate provide alternative sources of water system to a subset of the herd to roll up more evidence of the potential effect of these water system - timbre problem on public presentation . ”
A recorded webinar highlighting the work finding and a fact sheet on drinking - water system tests for dairy farm cows can be obtain on thePenn State Extension website .
