«So it makes sense that food producing animals should drink chlorinated water too,» Maguire said.
«Offering water that isn’t of good integrity, in other words, not safe for human consumption, is not good for animals.»
Good quality water on farms is vital to the health and wellbeing of cows but as demand for high volumes increases, storage on farms is becoming more of an issue.
Stored water is at potential risk of contamination; there may be cracks in the top, the cover doesn’t fit or is even missing, so birds and small animals and their faeces, leaves and all sorts of debris will eventually contaminate that water.
In addition, most farms source water from the ground, dams, creeks or rivers where water is prone to contamination from other animals or whatever naturally washes into that water source.
GEA|FIL now have a simple affordable solution to quality water with Farm Chlor® chlorine product range.
The Farm Chlor® chlorine products are the only dry chlorine form approved by MPI for use in dairy sheds. It’s also the most stable and cost effective solution to chlorinate water, making it the preferred method for reservoirs and water treatment worldwide.
Designed by Farm Medix, the new FIL Farm Chlor® Chlorinator water disinfection system is designed to be installed into the main water line, between the water pump and water tanks, so any water pumped on farm passes through the Chlorinator unit and is treated with a pre-set amount of chlorine before being stored or pumped elsewhere.
‘There’s more to consider for dairy farmers because their animals are producing milk which is a food product. So, MPI wants to ensure that the water used to clean milking surfaces is clean and that water fed to the cows is clean, protecting the integrity of our dairy industry.
«One of the cheapest ways for farmers to lift production is to have clean water.» Maguire said.
«Lactating cows are the biggest consumer of water; for every litre of milk a cow produces, she needs at least three litres of good quality water. If the water tastes better and isn’t contaminated, it’s of huge benefit because cows will drink more and be less likely to have animal health issues. Chlorine offers low residual protection of water.
Maguire also said «you’ll notice that wherever rain water runs with no light, it turns green and goes slimy. The same thing happens right through the water system and in troughs as well. Chlorine helps to retard slime growth, preserving water cleanliness.»
The system reduces the level of bacteria so delivers chlorinated water to the entire farm and, therefore free of E coli. Slime and bacteria growth will be much reduced in the milking shed and plant, trough water will be more potable, aiding cow consumption.
The system is adjustable and consistently delivers one to five parts PPM (parts per million) of chlorine into the water.
Installing the FIL Farm Chlor® Chlorinator system on farm is simple enough for farmers to do themselves. Also, the system is very robust, specially designed to take farm water pressures up to 150PSI.
«The FIL Farm Chlor® Chlorinator system is a very reliable tool for farmers to use to provide good quality water on farm,» GEA National Sales Manager Colin May said.
«The FIL Farm Chlor® range offers a solution to suit every farm situation, be it beef and sheep or dairy. We look forward to seeing those farmers on water exclusion in particular, install the system and quickly move back to compliant status, receiving a refund for penalty charges incurred this season.»
Source: Stuff
