Bacteria-free drinking water brings many benefits to this farmer

Gerco Oudshoorn took over the farm from his parents two years ago. The farm, with 100 dairy cows, is located in beautiful Mijdrecht. This is known for its beautiful, green surroundings and location on the Amstel River.

Experience with bad water

"We used to have spring water for the cows, but it turned out to contain too much iron. Because we have a drinking water supply with communicating vessels, there were often flakes in the water, with all its consequences." says Gerco. "The easiest solution at that time was to switch to tap water, and that's what we did." By switching to tap water, you have the assurance that the water is chemically good. Still, the cattle farmer was not completely satisfied with the water. Gerco adds: "There was often a slimy layer in trays and the feed leftovers rotted very quickly, even with cleaning twice a week."

Measuring is knowing

"You still want the best for the cows," says Gerco, "so we started looking for a solution and that's how we ended up with Watter." With the Watter system, disinfectant is produced on site consisting of water and salt. This agent can then be added to the cows' drinking water. Gerco found the operation very interesting. "We got in touch and in consultation with the consultant we first had water samples taken from the drinking trough via Eurofins. We were quite shocked by that outcome! Among other things, we had too much E.Coli in the water; it was abundantly clear that something needed to change, so we quickly started it."

Water sample results

After more than four weeks, the water was clean and Gerco could clearly see that in the tanks. "The water was crystal clear and there was no tarnish left," he indicates.

Not the only advantage

When the farm was acquired two years ago, the dairy farmer also switched dairy plants. The company now supplies to Vreugdenhil, which brought an additional benefit: "Vreugdenhil applies a quality bonus if the somatic cell count in the milk is very low. Since I have the Watter system, I still earn quite a penny extra and therefore the system pays for itself even faster." says Gerco. In addition, since the installation, no mastitis cases have occurred, whereas previously there were always a few cases per quarter.

Pioneering is important

Especially in this day and age, it is important to try new developments and see if it brings you new benefits. "The rules are constantly changing and you do have to deal with that as a farmer," Gerco explains. For example, they started growing and feeding grass clover. Compared to regular grass, this crop is high in protein and requires less fertilizer, which in turn saves the livestock industry money.

Don't underestimate water quality

If Gerco would like to give something to other livestock farmers, it is that one should not underestimate water quality. "To be honest, I was a bit shocked by the amount on the quote, but I didn't hesitate for long to buy the system. The results spoke for themselves. At our place, the drinking water really turned out to have a negative impact on the health of the cows, so don't underestimate that!

Try it yourself and benefit from MIA/Vamil?

Would you like to discover for yourself what clean water can do for your farm? Try the Watter system yourself and request more information soon. In 2023 you can also benefit from 36% MIA and 75% Vamil, which means you can have the system paid for itself within two years!