36 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | January 2025 Ag Insights Hear expert speakers that will motivate and inspire, and network with women passionate about ag. Learn new skills to help you excel Manage your well-being and build resiliency Nurture and grow your passions Meet, network and support other women Stay informed. Be inspired. Get growing. Listen, learn, network and grow! Call Iris Meck for details: (403) 686-8407 • AdvancingWomenConference.ca/2025west SAVE THE DATE! If you are a woman in farm operations, an entrepreneur in ag and food, a student, or working in agri-business, join us at AWC! AWC WEST 2025 March 16, 17 & 18, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Calgary, AB timing of potential toxin release so livestock can be returned to the water source at a later date. Most aspects of water quality can’t be evaluated by the appearance or smell of the water. Clear, clean-looking water may contain components that make it unsuitable for use by livestock. Water quality issues can occur in dugouts, wells, and in natural water sources including sloughs, lakes, and streams. A common belief is that water from flowing sources or springs will be free from harmful components, but this is not always the case. While keeping livestock from directly accessing a water source is a beneficial practice, this does not remedy all the water quality risks discussed here. Guidelines for safe drinking water vary by type of livestock and their stage of production. Generally, younger livestock are more susceptible to water quality issues than mature animals. Ruminant livestock are more susceptible to sulphate and nitrate than are horses. Swine and poultry are sensitive to most water contaminants. Time of year and temperature play a big role in the amount of water consumed each day. During hot, dry conditions, livestock consume much larger volumes of water, increasing the risk when water quality issues exist. Water testing is a great first step to understanding water quality and planning the use of various water sources throughout the year. There are tests available for all of the considerations above, although one test cannot cover every potential water quality concern. Testing laboratories should be contacted to determine which factors they can evaluate, and how water samples should be collected and submitted for the best results. Testing livestock water sources annually is a good starting point. However, a water source can undergo significant changes in quality over the course of a year. Dugouts monitored weekly from April through October have shown as much as a threefold increase in sulphate concentration from spring to fall, a trend that intensifies in dry years. Once a water source has been identified as high risk, more frequent testing can be done to determine its suitability for use. With many factors to consider related to water quality and the importance of water to livestock production, testing water sources for potential issues can provide helpful information and peace of mind. For more information, please contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377. BF CHELSEY SIEMENS Chelsey is a livestock and feed extension specialist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture based in Kindersley, Sask.
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