Hydration control

Dehydration disrupts the daily farming routines and requires additional labour to attend and monitor calves.

Water is a basic requirement for all living things. Hydration is defined as the intake or absorption of water in the body. Without proper hydration, normal body functions cannot be maintained. Dehydration occurs because of reduced intake of water or when the internal water balance is disturbed. The main causes for this range from simply not having access to enough quality drinking water, an increased rate of water losses due to external factors (such as transport and stress) or a direct loss of body fluids due to calf diarrhoea.

50% of all mortality in calves is caused by dehydration.

The impact of dehydration in calves is huge. It leads to a change in behavior and a compromised health status. Dehydration is a threat to animal welfare and can result in illness and subsequent death. Unfortunately, dehydration of calves takes its toll every single day. Half of all mortality cases in calves is caused by dehydration.

Dehydration disrupts the daily farming routines, required additional labour or time to attend and monitor calves. Altogether this can lead to significant treatment and intervention costs, direct mortality losses as well as compromised development and thus loss of future production potential.