Water is required in greater amounts than any nutrient and is necessary to biological functioning. Reducing water consumption and wastage will help reduce some environmental concerns such as pollution and groundwater stores and decrease costs of storing, spreading and hauling manure. As feed intake increases, so does water intake. Free access to water is highly recommended as there are individual and environmental variations that will influence intake needed to avoid deprivation. Diet has a large impact on the consumption of water. High protein diets with excess nitrogen often require more water consumption in order to dilute the urine. High mineral content including NaCl additives also increase water intake and so does higher fibre diets as they draw more water while passing through the digestive tract and water has less time to be reabsorbed.
Dietary Factors Influencing Water Consumption (full article)
