Water consumption for cow watering under loose housing system

Abstract

One of the factors contributing to higher milk productivity and good health of cows is sufficient and reliable round-the-clock water supply. Scarce water consumption leads to irreversible processes in the animal body, up to its death. The aim of this study was to measure the drinking water consumption in the loose housing system of cows with consideration of the time of day, the milk yield and the indoor barn climate. The study was conducted in August-November 2019 in a cow barn with the loose housing system. The inside climate was maintained by a natural ventilation system through the light ridge on the roof and by adjustable systemsinflatable membranes on the windows and air blowers installed inside the barn. The group of animals consisted of 80 Holstein cows with the productivity of 10 000 to 12 000 kg of milk per head per lactation period. During the study, the average drinking water consumption was 1.99 ± 0.26 l•l -1 of milk. Near the waterers, the air temperature ranged from + 2.7 ºС to + 20.8 ºС, with the relative humidity being 78.4-100 %. The maximum average water consumption of 6.5 l•head -1 •hour -1 was registered after the evening milking, the minimum of 0.8 l•head -1 •hour -1 was observed during the morning feeding. The water consumption increased in the first hour after the afternoon and evening milkings by 40-45 % that was associated with the water balance restoration in the animals' body. The study revealed the dependences of the drinking water consumption on the milk yield and the temperature and humidity conditions in the barn; graphical and mathematical models were constructed. This study is required to create a comprehensive model for the optimal drinking water supply of cows on dairy farms under reasonable energy and water inputs.

Effect of water temperature in drinkers and their location on water intake by cows

“…Ambient parameters and water temperatures were recorded automatically every 10 minutes and archived on an external storage medium. An electronic water flow meter DU-15 [6] was mounted directly on the water pipe leading to the drinker. It recorded the data on water intake by animals every hour and loaded it to its internal memory.…”

“…Drinking water intake and milk yields were recorded for the whole group and average values per animal were calculated. To compare the experimental data and the calculated values of water intake by cows, the regression equations were appliedequation ( 1) from [15] and equation ( 2) from [6]:…”

“…Research on the water demand of dairy cows was conducted by quite many scientists for different housing conditions in different climatic zones. The season, milk yield, animal weight, diet dry matter content, barn climate, and precipitation are distinguished as the factors to a greater extent affecting the water intake [4][5][6][7][8].…”