drinking water - Do your cows lap?

welshdexterboy · Post by **welshdexterboy** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:56 pm

I know it sounds a bit strange but nearly all of my cattle (15), and this only includes those I have seen, drink their water by sticking their tounges in the water and sort of lap it up like a dog. The trouble is a lot of water goes every where and I do wonder if they get enough-- but they are still alive and the cows have done the calves well so I don't know.

I did think the tank was too high in the shed but they did it in the field where the tank was plenty low enough for the shortest short to reach easy---- so what is happening opinions please.

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:05 am

Perhaps its a dexter thing as we have quite alot who just stand there lapping away sending most of the water onto the floor making it reaally wet, I was thinking of writing a post asking what sort of troughs others use because they really waste alot of water. We used to have water bowls that the cattle had to push on to let water in to drink but we had problems with youngsters learning to drink or water bowls being damaged and the shed being fllooded if we wernt around so we changed them to self fill mini troughs so we have a different problem now. It is just the same with adult cows in their larger water trough but it is something we seemed to have noticed in the last couple of years.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:42 am

Mine lap a bit as though they are testing the water at first, then they suck it up. They also push the tank over, break the pipes, rub the float box off the top and flood the barns every now and again.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:29 am

I use feed barrier and keep troughs out of the pen, water wasted is then not inside, it also stops them from fouling the water and causing damage to the troughs.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:40 am

I haven't noticed ours lapping water, but it amuses me when I am using a container of grain to lead them anywhere, how some lick and lap at the air, hoping their tongues will stretch long enough to reach as I move away while they follow.
Margaret

Edited By wagra dexters on 1237196550

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:48 am

They have powerful taste receptors in theirs tongues don't they? It's one of their main senses I have read somewhere. Maybe if they're lapping a lot, then they can taste something different! Is it mains water with flouride in or something like that?

marion · Post by **marion** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:17 pm

Clive, I think you're right. My cows taste first then suck. They dislike it when I break the ice and leave the chunks floating, instead of dumping and re-filling the whole tub. They will snort and shake their heads in displeasure. They don't like the taste of heavy snow melted into the water either. Some love to drink straight from the hose even when the water in the tub is fresh! ..marion

mike skelton · Post by **mike skelton** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:12 pm

Rob, i have two different types of drinking recepticles, one is a large trough filled up by a tap over the top of it. The cows love to lick the water when i turn the tap on but then suck it from the bowl. I also have two cows who are in a seperate pen that have just calved, they are older and drink out of a drinking bowl. these two definately suck. I have not noticed an excess of water on the floor in either but i will keep an eye out now.

mike

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:54 am

Ours suck water up into their mouths and gulp it down. Its amazing how much they can get through. I've got to remember to turn the timer on every day or so, cause they can get through a bath tub full in no time. We don't have ice on our water troughs though.

ann · Post by **ann** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:41 pm

I find its more a short legged problem in my herd as even though I do put a lower trough into my yards when they first come in so that any small ones or calves can get to the water o.k they still seem to like to try and drink from the trough even though they cant reach them properly so they try and scoop the water into their mouths with their tongues and as they grow up never seem to lose this practice.

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:27 am

Revisiting this topic because we now have a case of 'lapping', with a big old rangy cow who has come to live out her days with us.
It is absolute agony to watch her drink. She stands at the water half the day every day to take enough water in.
How she has survived into old age, given some of the summers she's had to live through, is a mystery.
It doesn't matter whether it's from a creek, a dam, a trough, or her favourite which is the outlet of a culvert pipe, she just laps and laps and laps, hour after hour.
I'd never seen it before, but I remembered this topic had been covered as soon as I noticed Tara's habit.
Margaret