Impact of Intake Water Temperatures on Reticular Temperatures of Lactating Dairy Cows

Abstract

Automatic temperature recording may allow early detection of disease, estrus, heat stress, and the onset of calving. The phase IV Cattle Temperature Monitoring System (MaGiiX Inc., Post Falls, ID) utilizes a passive bolus equipped with a temperature sensor, a stationary panel reader to query the bolus, and software to collect, analyze, and display data. One potential limitation to collection of reticular temperatures is the effect of water temperature and consumption on recorded temperatures. Two replicated 3 x 3 Latin square experiments were conducted at the Purdue Dairy Research and Education Center to assess the impact of water intake on reticular temperatures using the Cattle Temperature Monitoring System. Nine high-producing, mid-lactation, second-parity cows with low somatic cell counts were selected. Before administering a water treatment, access to feed and water was restricted for at least 2 h. Baseline reticular temperatures were established from measurements before water intake. In experiment 1, treatments were 25.2 kg of hot water (34.3 degrees C +/- 1.0), warm water (18.2 degrees C +/- 0.4), or cold water (7.6 degrees C +/- 0.4). In experiment 2, treatments were 18.9 kg of body-temperature water (38.9 degrees C +/- 0.2), cold water (5.1 degrees C +/- 0.4), or control (no water). Following water intake, reticular temperatures were collected for 3 h. In experiment 1, an initial dramatic decrease in reticular temperature was observed followed by a gradual increase toward baseline. Least squares means for maximum drop in temperature were 8.5 +/- 0.5, 6.9 +/- 0.5, and 2.2 +/- 0.5 degrees C for cold, warm, and hot water treatments, respectively. Yet at 3 h, reticular temperatures did not return to the baseline. In experiment 2, control cows remained within the baseline confidence interval through the observation period, and cows receiving body temperature water experienced an initial decrease in temperature (0.4 +/- 0.2 degrees C) with a return to within the baseline confidence interval within 15 min. Cows receiving cold water did not return to within the baseline confidence interval after a large decrease of 9.2 +/- 0.2 degrees C during the 3-h observational period. Moreover, a regression analysis of continued ascent in temperatures predicted that temperatures would return to baseline within 3.5 h. These results demonstrate that, when cows consume large quantities of cold water, the effect of water intake is sizable and sustained. The value of reticular temperatures for daily monitoring in a production setting hinges largely on the implications of this impact.

Relationship between pH and Temperature in the Ruminal Fluid of Cows, Based on a Radio-Transmission pH-Measurement System

“…Therefore, the ruminal temperature in cows fed the RAI diet may be higher compared to that in cows fed the C diet due to active fermentation after RAI diet feeding. Ruminal temperature in cows fed the C diet decreased 3-4 and 9-10 hr after the morning feeding, indicating drinking bouts [2,6]. In a previous study, cows fed a SARA diet had a higher mean temperature and spent more time at >39.0 and 39.2°C than those who did not eat a SARA diet [2].…”

“…Ruminal temperature exceeds rectal temperature presumably due to accelerated microbial fermentation [4]. Moreover, there is a strong relationship between ruminal and rectal temperature [23], and between the reticular temperature and intake water temperature or rectal temperature [6,7] in healthy cows. Meanwhile, ruminal temperature is negatively correlated with ruminal pH in cows with SARA, and a predictive equation for aiding the diagnosis of SARA has been sought based on the negative correlation between the lowest ruminal pH and high temperature [2,3].…”

Ruminal pH and temperature, papilla characteristics, and animal performance of fattening calves fed concentrate or maize silage-based diets

“…However, water consumption dramatically reduces ruminal temperature for a period of time proportional to the water temperature and amount of water ingested. It will take between 20 min and 2 h for ruminal temperature to recover (Yamada et al, 2001;Bewley et al, 2008).…”

Drinking regime evaluation with continuous ruminal monitoring boluses

“…Huzzey et al (2005) monitored drinking activity of dairy cows using video cameras connected to a video multiplexer and a time-lapse videocassette recorder. Bewley et al (2008) monitored ruminal temperature using boluses permanently residing in the cow's reticulum and indentified temperatures influenced by drinking events. The aim of this study was to monitored drinking regime of dairy cows using boluses during lactation in relation to the outside temperature, daily drinking regime and the impact of drinking on rumen temperature.…”