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The water intake of milking cows grazing Pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens Stent.) under wet- and dry-season conditions in Trinidad

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. N. Wilson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University College of the West IndiesThe Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad
M. A. Barratt
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University College of the West IndiesThe Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad
M. H. Butterworth
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University College of the West IndiesThe Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad

Extract

1. The water intakes of ten Holstein × Zebu milking cows, yielding between one and two gallons of milk a day, were analysed on the basis of (a) freewater drunk, and (b) feed-water consumed with the herbage. Trials took place during a 10-day period in both the wet season, 1959 and the dry season, 1960. During both seasons the cows were rotationally grazed on Pangola grass pastures.

2. The results showed a difference of only 24% in total water intake between seasons. However, the mean intake of free water increased from 18·5 lb. per cow in the wet season to 81·5 lb. per cow per day in the dry season, and the intake of feed water decreased from 94·9 to 59·2 lb. per cow per day, respectively. The between cow coefficients of variation were 9·7 and 8·7%, respectively.

3. Results are presented for the drinking habits of Holstein × Zebu cattle grazing Pangola grass pastures. For 567 observed cow-days in the wet season, the cattle were found to drink water on average 0·8 times per day from troughs present in the pastures. For 332 observed cow-days in the dry season, the cattle increased their drinking habits to a mean figure of 1·4 times each day.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1962

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