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The effect of drinking frequency on some aspects of the productivity of zebu cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

M. J. Nicholson
M. J. Nicholson
Affiliation:
International Livestock Centre for Africa, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Summary

A 28-month trial was carried out under extensive grazing conditions to examine the effects of giving water to Boran cattle once daily, once every 2 days, and once every 3 days, with cattle having ad libitum access to water serving as the control. In the dry season, the weight and condition of lactating cows given water every 3 days declined more rapidly than that of cows given water daily. Calving rates and birth weights were unaffected by treatments although when compared with cows given water ad libitum, birth weights were depressed by 2·5 kg in all treatments. Thirty steers showed no treatment differences in 28-month weights despite a depression in dry-matter intake in the dry season by animals given water every 3rd day. In contrast, 210-day weaning weights were significantly depressed by 9 kg when cattle drank water every 2 days and 14 kg when they drank every 3 days compared with calves given water daily. Total water consumed was depressed in all classes of stock by 5–10% under the 2-day regime and by 25–34% under the 3-day regime when compared with cattle given water daily. The results show that giving water every 3 days can be carried out indefinitely with all classes of stock with only minor effects on cattle productivity under the climatic conditions in which the trial was held. The management implications of giving water every 2 or 3 days to cattle under extensive, pastoralist and ranching conditions are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 108 , Issue 1 , February 1987 , pp. 119 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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