Good quality water is essential to raising a healthy herd, but if your water supply became toxic, any number of health issues can crop up.
At Ag in Motion this past summer, Rikki Wilson, livestock and feed extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, looked at some of the livestock water issues that if left unchecked, can cause severe neurological symptoms in cattle, and in some cases, even death.
So what’s your best first step if you suspect your water supply has run afoul? Get it tested.
The province’s regional offices offer water testing services for free and may be your best defence to avoid water-quality-related health problems in your cattle.
In this video, Wilson helps identify some of the toxic elements often found in water sources, and why one common aquatic plant – as alarming as it may look in your dugout – does not actually pose a toxic threat to your herd.
– Video by Greg Berg
