Andrew Walker, Head of Animal Health and Welfare, looks at the importance of water availability for livestock businesses.
Livestock businesses are significant consumers of water, not only for their livestock but in terms of the cleaning and washing down of buildings and vehicles. Water is critical to every step of the production process.
However it is also ubiquitous to the point that we take it for granted. How might we change our approach to water management if we started to think of water as a precious, finite resource, like oil? I suggest that our attitude to water, and the way we use it, would change dramatically.
Livestock producers take great care to ensure that they feed their stock appropriately, taking into account dietary, reproductive and welfare needs. Feed accounts for a high proportion of their fixed costs and so any wastage is to be avoided. However, the management of water, its intake by animals and its use for ancillary purposes on farms and in processing plants, also needs to be given a high priority. Measuring consumption is the starting point, but active water management, including the monitoring and minimisation of wastage and assessment of the scope for recycling, would represent a significant step-change.
Looking ahead I envisage the increasing adoption of water storage and recycling capabilities into the design of livestock buildings and infrastructure. While this is already a consideration on new build projects, it presents a huge challenge for retrospective installation. The industry’s track record on innovation, and ADAS specialists on hand to help, gives cause for confidence.
Lord Smith of Finsbury, Chairman of the Environment Agency, wrote in The Times recently, “too often we assume that water is infinitely available when in fact it is precious, finite and essential for life. We need to use it wisely, and to plan for, and manage, that use as best we can.” It’s a message the livestock industry needs to take to heart.
For more information please contact Andrew Walker on 0115 925 5409 or email Andrew.Walker@adas.co.uk.