Testing stock wells

[aj]

What should you test for in water? Nitrates,molibnium,(sp),iron,sulfur.....? What tests are available?

 

[cowman 52]

What made you decide you needed testing?  Cows not doing well?  Not breeding? Big question,  does the water taste bad?  Iron and sulfur will screw up conception if the mineral program ain't right.  You can figure out both by drinking it. 
I'm just a broke cowboy that doesn't care to p*** of money for no good reason,  If you have problems,  what made you think water?  I'm sure you can send it somewhere and for a nominal fee they will tell you something.  There are several under water testing on the computer

 

[knabe]

http://www.spectrumanalytic.com/support/library/ff/Interpretation_of_Water_Analysis_for_Livestock_Suitability.htm


If you want one for humans let me know and ill scan you ours.

 

[obie105]

Our county health department will come check wells for $50. You can also get a test kit from Wal Mart that will tell you if the water is above levels. Its pretty simple to use.

 

[nkotb]

We usually use Servitech Labs in Dodge City when we send ours in.  This is what their livestock water test analyzes:

Livestock Water Suitability 
(Suggested for use with drinking water for all livestock)
Nitrate-nitrogen, Chloride, Sulfate-sulfur, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Total dissolved solids, Total hardness, Electrical conductivity, Water pH, Livestock hazard ratings

 

[aj]

Thanks.....I had a guy mention Dodge City. I had some calves born with tremors or a ms acting problems. Trying to figure out what the heck. There is a pasture that has old bricks dumped in it. I noticed cows have chewed on a couple of these bricks. I kinda wonder if this might be the problem. Cows eating minerals in the bricks which may contain some bad chemical or something. Clay would contain minerals. I think I will send in  some water samples.....and maybe pulvervize the bricks and try and get them checked out.

 

[aj]

What are bricks made of? Is there something in them that would tie up minerals or be poisonous?

 

[aj]

Molybdenum in clay bricks were made from?

 

[hamburgman]

Lead or arsenic in those bricks?  You by any chance don't have any old batteries laying around do you?

 

[aj]

Hamburger man....I did find and remove one battery......it wasn't real old and it wasn't busted up. The battery deal might have been a problem. It just seems weird the cows knawing on a brick. I got all kinds of mineral out.

 

[hamburgman]

Could be lead or arsenic in those bricks then.  Cattle love the taste of lead and keep going back for more, same for arsenic, it makes them eat more.  While arsenic isn't as harmful to livestock as it is in humans, it is like anything if you get too much your in trouble.

 

[aj]

fo toe

 

[aj]

The Sherman county brick eating incident.