Water Calculator
How much water your animals drink each day and each week, using the published figure for each species.
Water per day, all 2 together
3.8–7.6 L each · 53–106 L a week
Give constant access to clean water, not a fixed ration.
University of California Cooperative Extension: 1–2 US gallons a day below 75°F, planning toward the high side. A goat in milk drinks about 0.8 gallons more per gallon of milk (Alabama Extension).
Hot weather: Goats drink more in warm weather; the 1–2 gallon figure assumes conditions below 75°F (24°C).
Sources checked: October 2026.
How the water figure is worked out
Each species uses the figure its source publishes, in the form the source gives it. Pigs use AHDB's table by stage, from 1–1.5 litres a day for newly weaned pigs to 15–30 litres for a sow suckling piglets. Chickens drink roughly twice their feed weight, about 250–500 ml a day for a laying hen (University of Kentucky). Goats and sheep need 1–2 US gallons (about 4–7.5 litres) a day below 75°F (University of California Cooperative Extension). Rabbits drink about 120 ml per kg of bodyweight (MSD Veterinary Manual). Horses drink about 10–15 US gallons a day for a 1,000 lb horse (Oklahoma State and UC Extension), scaled here by the weight you enter.
Two add-ons come from the same sources: a goat in milk drinks about 0.8 gallons extra for every gallon of milk (Alabama Extension), and a mare feeding a foal needs 50–75% more (Oklahoma State). The result is multiplied by the number of animals and by seven for a week.
We haven't found a qualifying daily figure for ducks or donkeys, so the calculator says so instead of guessing. Alpacas use Rutgers Extension's 4 litres per 100 lb of bodyweight. Hot weather raises intake for every species, sometimes several times over, so treat the result as a minimum and give constant access to clean water.
Common questions
- How much water does a goat need a day?
- About 1–2 US gallons (4–7.5 litres) below 75°F, planning toward the high side, according to University of California Cooperative Extension. A goat in milk needs about 0.8 gallons more for every gallon of milk.
- How much water does a horse drink a day?
- About 10 US gallons for a 1,000 lb horse in normal conditions (Oklahoma State University Extension), with UC Cooperative Extension giving 12–15 gallons. Heat, work and feeding a foal all push it higher.
- How much water do chickens drink?
- Roughly twice their feed weight, which is about 250–500 ml a day for a laying hen. It can double or quadruple in hot weather, and a few hours without water can cut egg laying.
- Should I give a set amount of water each day?
- No. Every source we use agrees on constant access to clean water rather than a measured ration. Use the figure to size drinkers and troughs and to plan how often to refill them.
Related
Want to see what keeping a backyard animal is actually like?
Try My Backyard — a simple interactive simulation. Adopt one, feed it, play with it, keep its bedding clean, and see how it gets on.
Play My Backyard →