Research
Peer-reviewed research on livestock water intake, drinking behaviour and water quality — curated and summarised by the YEARAN technical team.
Nitrate and E. coli in Central California Dairy Troughs
A year of sampling 62 troughs and 212 water samples on Central California dairy farms: 47% ran above the 44 ppm nitrate guideline and 89% above 15 CFU/100 mL E. coli. Tapping the faucet showed why — nitrate arrives with the groundwater, bacteria come from the cows.
Automation, AI and GenAI for Monitoring Cattle Drinking Behaviour and Water Intake
A systematic review of 121 studies from 2000 to 2025 maps how farms actually measure drinking — RFID tags, accelerometers, flow meters, electronic drinkers and cameras — and where AI is starting to replace manual scoring.
Effect of Non-Genetic Factors on Milk Yield, Milk Constituents and Feed Efficiency in Lactating Kankrej Cows
Season and parity — not genetics — decided how efficiently 49 Kankrej cows turned feed into milk. Summer, the season usually blamed for losses, delivered the best feed efficiency of the year.
Temperature-Humidity Index: Using THI to Predict and Manage Heat Stress in Dairy Cows
One number — the temperature-humidity index — turns a barn's air temperature and humidity into an actionable heat-stress verdict, with thresholds any farm can check daily.
Effects of Low Ambient Temperatures on Microclimate, Clinical Status and Behaviour of Calves in Individual Hutches
At –14.2 °C, where a calf hutch stands matters almost as much as what is inside it. Microclimate, behaviour and faecal quality all split along the indoor/outdoor line — in different directions.
Cooling Effectiveness of the Sustainable Cooling Solution for Cattle: Case Study in Poland
Instead of cooling the air, this system cools the cow directly through the surface she lies on. Three dry cows, three bedding types, water at 10 °C by day — and a measurable drop in core temperature.
Amelioration of Physiological Responses, Cortisol and Milk Yield in Buffaloes by Regulating the Drinking Water Temperature
Cooling drinking water in earthen pots — a technique any farm can copy — cut the stress hormone by nearly half and lifted milk yield by nearly 30% in Murrah buffaloes held at THI 83.
Review on Water Requirement and Utilization in Farm Animals
A species-by-species review of how much water livestock actually need, where it goes, and why quality matters as much as quantity.
Integrative Assessment of the Effects of Ventilation Systems on Economic Efficiency, Milk Production, and Reproductive Performance in Dairy Cows
Ventilation is expensive and usually justified on welfare grounds alone. This three-year, four-farm before/after study puts a number on the payback — and finds it in the milk tank.
Effects of Water Cup Cleaning on Drinking Behaviour, Water Intake, and Milk Yield of Lactating Dairy Cows in Tie-Stall Barns
Water cups are among the least maintained items in a barn. This trial tracked 24 lactating cows across two cleaning regimes to quantify what neglect actually costs.
Effect of farrowing room temperature adjustment on total electrical energy consumption and sow and litter performance
Room temperature drives both the electricity bill and piglet outcomes. Lowering set-points in stages showed where the two stop being in conflict.
Effects of Drinking Water Quality Parameters on Egyptian Cattle Farm Performance Indicators
Salinity, hardness and microbial load were measured against growth and milk output across commercial herds — and the thresholds that matter turned out to be narrower than expected.
Correlation between weather conditions and the watering cycle of beef cows in pastures
Ambient temperature and wind speed reshape when and how often grazing herds walk to water — with direct consequences for how far a trough can be sited from pasture.
Effect of Climatic Condition, Type of Trough and Water Cleanliness on Drinking Behavior in Dairy Cows
Three variables were tested together for the first time: climate, trough design and water cleanliness. Design and cleanliness together outweighed climate alone.
Drinking and Cleaning Water Use in a Dairy Cow Barn
Most barns size their water system on drinking volume alone. Measured data shows cleaning water is a large share of the true daily demand.
Effect of drinking water temperature on water intake and performance of dairy calves
Calves are more temperature-sensitive than adults. Warmed water changed both intake and starter feed consumption during the pre-weaning window.
The effect of body cleanliness (hygiene) score on some criteria used in the detection of milk quality in dairy cattle
Hygiene scoring is cheap and fast. This work links it directly to measurable milk quality criteria — making it a practical early-warning tool.
Effect of water trough type on the drinking behaviour of pasture-based beef heifers
Trough geometry changed social behaviour at the water point. Dominant animals monopolised narrow designs, and intake across the group suffered.
Effect of drinking water temperature on water intake, feed intake and milk production of crossbred dairy cattle at high altitude temperate Himalayas
In cold highland conditions, warming drinking water lifted intake, feed consumption and milk output together — a rare three-way positive result.
A review on water intake in dairy cattle: associated factors
The reference review for anyone specifying watering systems: it maps every factor from ambient temperature to trough design to diet composition.
Comparative study on performance of high volume low speed (HVLS) fans with high-speed fans for the use in dairy barns
Air volume versus air speed. HVLS fans moved more air for less energy while producing comparable or better cooling at cow level.
Beef Cattle on Pasture Have Better Performance When Supplied With Water Trough Than Pond
Pond water is free and conventional. Measured against a clean trough, it cost measurable daily gain across the grazing season.
The impact of a partially shaded laneway on voluntary cow movement to an automatic milking system
Cows walk to the robot voluntarily — but only if the walk is comfortable. Shade along the lane changed traffic without any mechanical forcing.
Importance of Measuring Water Intake in Dairy Animals: A Review
Water is the most consumed nutrient and the least measured one. This review makes the case for metering at group level as a management habit.
Influence of Water Temperature and Heat Stress on Drinking Behavior in Holstein Dairy Cows
Under heat stress, cool water does more than refresh — it helps the animal shed heat. Temperature of the water changed drinking pattern and intake directly.
Cooling cows efficiently with sprinklers: Physiological responses to water spray
Spray duration and droplet size outperform sheer volume. Shorter, finer cycles cooled better while using far less water.
Readily Available Water Access is Associated with Greater Milk Production in Grazing Dairy Herds
Distance to water is a production variable. Herds with close, reliable access produced more milk from the same pasture.