The very dry conditions in the UK Midlands, is currently very serious for pasture based dairy farmers. Little or no rain has fallen in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Derbyshire or
Not only is rainfall scarce but ground water supplies on
some farms are very low. Some on farm water bores are drawing less than 20% of
normal supply. Daily water demand is more than twice normal due to the dry
diets being fed….concentrates, silage & minimal high DM% pasture. Normal
daily water used for dairy cows is approx 2x daily milk production. Some farms
using electro pulse meters (LMS systems) have recorded daily use as high as
100litres per cow per day. Water tables are very low throughout the Midlands . If the autumn winter rainfall in these areas is
low this will be very serious next summer not only for pastures but for
livestock water supply too.
Phil Evans from LMS http://www.liquidminerals.co.uk/
tells me that the normal pattern of daily water consumption is 40% after am
milking & 60% after pm milking. Water use is seasonal & dependent on
the diet (DM%)
The water demand of a country is usually expressed as the
total water withdrawn from rivers, lakes & aquifers in that country for
different sectors of its economy. However this doesn’t equate to the total
demand for water as a country as many products including food are imported. The
“Water Footprint” of a country or a product like milk is calculated to include
both the direct water used & the virtual water associated with that
product’s production. Unlike carbon footprints of which there are hundreds of
different versions (total shambles!) there is only one agreed water footprint
method of calculation.
On farms there are three types of water available…Green
water = rainfall (not including runoff which is lost). Blue water = surface
& groundwater. Grey water = recycled water including effluent & dirty
water.
Globally the Water Footprint for milk is 1000 litres of water
used to produce 1 litre of Milk.
On farm nothing crashes milk production more than being
short of water. Drinking water is NOT just about water troughs. Rather it’s the
combined impact of the water supply, pumps, water pipe diameter & trough
size. The biggest on farm problems relate to the circulation/delivery water
pipes not being large enough.
The most efficient & lowest cost installation is a ring
main system with minimal laterals to the water troughs.
In the UK we tend to take water for granted. In Australia water is gold! Now we find that we are very short of water in some areas.....its very serious! Its very stressful too.
Current UK Pasture Measurements
West Cheshire , 1774, growth
13, hot windy & dry, feeding anything I can get my hands on.
East Cheshire , AFC 2600,
growth 60+
In the UK we tend to take water for granted. In Australia water is gold! Now we find that we are very short of water in some areas.....its very serious! Its very stressful too.
Current UK Pasture Measurements
Situation now critical in Midlands. Can you help with feed?
Contact me if you can help especially if you have organic feed that could be transported into the Midlands. Ring me.
TheAverage
Pasture Cover (kgsDM/ha) & Pasture Growth (kgsDM/ha/day)
Cumbria AFC 2568, growth 44, Summer here at last
Staffordshire, 1800, growth well below demand, feeding 4kgs
conc + 7 kgs silage, Cows drinking 55litres/day
Staffordshire, 2370, gr down from 40 to 24, pastures water
stressed. Bores okay but both farm streams dry
Shropshire, 1750, gr 16, de 10 feel like high input farmer 6kg in parlour + 12kg DM TMR Water now requires the Mains
Herefordshire, 2346, gr 35, de 18, 3mm rain
Herefordshire, 2275, gr 30 de 52, still very dry
Oxfordshire, 2150, gr 30, de 20
Gloucestershire, 2505, gr 50, demand 50,
South West Wales, 2601, growth 63, demand 44, Heifers AFC
3245, gr 65, de 27
Dorset AFC 2204, growth 62, demand 30
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