Water salinity effects on performance and rumen parameters of lactating grazing Holstein cows

Abstract

Eighteen multiparous lactating grazing Holstein cows, 9 ruminally cannulated, average 136.1 +/- 14.6 days in milk, were randomly assigned to three treatments consisting of water containing different levels of total dissolved solids (TDS; mg/l): Treatment 1 = 1,000; Treatment 2 = 5,000 and Treatment 3 = 10,000, at the Experimental Dairy Unit at Rafaela Experimental Station (31 degrees 11'S latitude) during summer 2005. Animals were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three 28-day experimental periods, with 3 weeks for water adaptation and 1 week for measurements. Feed and water intake, milk production and composition, body weight and condition score and rumen parameters were evaluated. No treatment effects were observed in any of the variables evaluated, with the exception of water intake, which was higher for animals receiving 10,000 mg/l TDS in the drinking water (189 l/day vs. 106 and 122 l/day for cows receiving water with 1,000 and 5,000 mg/l TDS, respectively). Water intake was significantly higher for animals in treatment 10,000 (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the rumen presents a surprising buffer capacity and that consideration of TDS alone is insufficient to characterize drinking water quality.

Evolutionary adaptations of ruminants and their potential relevance for modern production systems

“…Offering of saline drinking water leads to an increase in water intake in ruminants (e.g. Kii and Dryden, 2005;Valtorta et al, 2008) that translates into increased RR fluid throughput, but investigations are so far concentrated on the negative effects of saline water rather than on potentially positive effects of isotonic drinking solutions. Pharmacological approaches have been pursued using salivary stimulants and positive effects were demonstrated such as increased bacterial protein outflow from the RR (Wiedmeier et al, 1987;Froetschel et al, 1989;Bird et al, 1993).…”

Chemical Composition of Drilled Wells Water for Ruminants

“…Tolerance to saline water is also related to the different physiological stages of the animal (Squires, 1993;NRC, 2001), as well as the type of salt or the mineral, and not only the TDS (Squires, 1993;Valtorta et al, 2008). All the examined waters in the present study presented high Cl levels, considering the potential water intake of a lamb weighting 20 and showing 100 g/day of weight gain.…”

“…Valtorta et al (2008), Arjomandfar et al (2010) and Visscher et al (2013) report that ruminants can tolerate and accept water showing considerable salts concentration.…”

“…Waters with 5.000 to 6.999 mg/L of TDS should be avoided by pregnant or lactating animals while waters with more than 7.000 mg/L should not be offered to cows (NRC, 2001). Domestic ruminants have been used and accepted saline waters with considerable TDS levels (Valtorta et al, 2008;Arjomandfar et al, 2010), but there are differences among the species as to their tolerance. Masters et al (2007) reported the order in which animals are tolerant to salinity as camels > sheep > goats > cattle.…”

“…Increase in milk production (Solomon et al, 1995) and greater efficiency in milk production (Guadalupe et al, 2015) were observed in lactating cows receiving water desalinated compared to saline water. However, saline water has been used in domestic ruminants without health damage reports (Kii & Dryden, 2005;Valtorta et al, 2008;Visscher et al, 2013). According to Peirce (1957), Wilson (1975) and Squires (1993), 1.0 to 1.2% of NaCl in the water (10 to 12 g/1.000 g of the solution) does not cause health damages to the animals.…”