How often do you remember to check the cleanliness of your cows’ water bowls or water tanks? Water consumption is a key indicator of a livestock herd’s performance and health, yet it’s often one of the most overlooked nutrients in livestock production.
    Water is the nutrient that dairy cows consume the most during their lifetime. A lactating dairy cow will consume 30 to 50 gallons of water a day, according to Penn State University Extension.
    Wisconsin dairy farmer Mike Gudenkauf knows water consumption is directly correlated with his cows’ feed intake and milk production. That’s why he was interested when a trusted friend recommended the Restructured and Ionized Water Unit from ProfitProAG. He was willing to give the system a try, especially since he had seen positive results from other ProfitProAG products he has used.
    “Since I hooked the unit into my dairy barn’s water line about a year ago, the water stays cleaner and doesn’t get scummy as fast,” says Gudenkauf, who owns and operates a 140-cow dairy near Watertown, Wisconsin.
    That’s a big plus, especially since the farm’s water comes with its own set of challenges. “Our water contains a lot of iron,” says Gudenkauf, who has decades of dairy-farming experience. “In the past, we often had to dump the waterers at least once a week. Now we might go a couple of weeks without needing to do that.”
    The Restructured and Ionized Water Unit is a stainless-steel tube that’s easy to install and requires no electricity, Gudenkauf notes. Since he started using this system, he’s noticed that water consumption among his Holstein herd has stayed consistent, even when the mercury soars. “Even on really hot days, my cows’ milk production doesn’t drop off.”