A new vet-led service aims to help dairy farmers to increase animal health and productivity by improving their water quality.
FarmWater, which ensures clean, hygienic water regardless of water source, has proven itself within the poultry sector, and is now officially rolling out onto dairy farms, many of which have private water supplies of unknown quality.
“Water hygiene is an untapped area – few people realise what properly clean water is,” says vet Phil Elkins, of the FarmWater team. “There’s a real opportunity to improve animal welfare, health and productivity on a large scale.”
The fully managed, non-toxic water treatment kills all common microbes, significantly reducing the risk of disease transfer, including yield-sapping challenges such as mastitis and cryptosporidiosis.
Farm trial
In one 12-month farm trial at Taunton, Somerset, it slashed mastitis by 37%, somatic cell counts by 28%, and bactoscans by 81%. It also removes biofilms, making water more palatable for cows and reducing labour for farm staff.
At the Taunton farm, the payback period for the investment was less than 30 months, with a £6,000-£7,000/year increase in profit afterwards. This was based on mastitis reduction alone – not including the saving in mains water costs.
FarmWater takes and analyses water samples, installs the treatment unit and monitors it on an ongoing basis. Like hospitals, the treatment uses chlorine dioxide, which oxidises all organic matter, but unlike chlorine it is non-toxic and tasteless.
Cleanliness
“We talk a lot about trough space per cow, but not enough about ensuring the water is clean and palatable,” explains Mr Elkins. “It’s not just the cleanliness of water coming to the farm, but the water within the pipes and troughs.”
Many dairy farms use private water supplies like a borehole or spring, but also spread slurry and manure onto the land, meaning pathogens can quickly re-enter the water table. Even those using mains water can get problems.
Cows – and calves – that have limited water intake will also have substandard milk production or growth. “I can see this technology as a significant contributor to health and welfare on a large number of dairy farms.”