Jordan has about 61 cubic metres of renewable water per person each year, far below the 500 m³ line used to define absolute scarcity. Irrigation already takes 48.6% of the country’s water. Livestock farms compete for what is left, and in summer their animals need far more of it.
A large herd on little water
The Department of Statistics counted 3.08 million sheep and 880,000 goats in 2024, and FAO data put the national cattle herd at about 89,000 head. Add the broiler and layer flocks, and drinking water for animals becomes a real line in the national water balance, as well as a daily cost and worry on every farm.
How much animals drink, and how heat changes it
Extension guidelines give a clear picture of how fast demand rises:
- Broilers aged five to eight weeks drink about 345 to 470 litres per 1,000 birds a day at 21 °C, and 550 to 770 litres at 32 °C.
- A dairy cow giving 22.7 kg of milk drinks 87 to 102 litres a day; at 45.5 kg of milk she needs 132 to 155 litres.
- A lactating dairy ewe of 90 kg drinks around 10 litres a day.
These figures come from a Canadian government factsheet and describe well-managed farms in a cooler climate. In a Jordanian August, once cooling pads and foggers are counted, a farm’s total use is higher still. The point holds everywhere: water use climbs with heat and production, and a farm that does not measure it cannot manage it.
What measurement shows
A water meter on each poultry house or cattle shed does three jobs. It finds leaks and overflowing drinkers. It separates drinking water from cooling water, so the farm knows what each use costs. And it gives an early warning: daily water consumption can signal a disease outbreak, often before birds look ill, which is why poultry scientists advise checking it every day.
Where the national strategy points
The National Water Strategy 2023–2040 states that on-farm water-use efficiency is only around 60% and sets a goal of raising non-conventional water, such as treated wastewater, to 60% of irrigation supply by 2030. For livestock farms, the direction is clear: measure use, cut waste, and reuse what can safely be reused, for example for cleaning, cooling or fodder irrigation, subject to the rules that apply to each.
How to start
- Fit a meter on the main supply and on each house or shed, and record readings daily for one month.
- Compare drinking water with feed intake each day: in poultry, a sudden change in that ratio is worth investigating.
- Walk the drinker lines and cooling system to find and fix leaks before buying anything else.
How Zoonexa helps
Zoonexa audits water use on poultry, dairy and sheep farms, installs meters and alerts that report to the farm manager’s phone, and helps plan cooling and reuse that fit the farm and the regulations. See our sustainability and climate solutions or book a farm visit.