Drinking regime evaluation with continuous ruminal monitoring boluses

Ondrej Hanušovský, Daniel Bíro, Milan Šimko, Branislav Gálik, Miroslav Juráček, Michal Rolinec, Róbert Herkeľ

Abstract


Received: 2016-07-04 | Accepted: 2016-10-27 | Available online: 2017-03-31
http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.01.01-05

The aim of this study was to continuously monitored drinking regime of 7 dairy cows of Holstein breed using boluses during 24 weeks of lactation in relation to the outside temperature and observed daily drinking regime with the impact of drinking on rumen temperature at University Experimental Farm in Oponice. Animals were fed once daily and milked 3 times per day. The bolus pH and temperature values implemented via esophagus were measured every 15 minutes (96 data points per day) with accuracy ±0.1 ph and °C. Outside temperature by FREEMETEO meteorological server (48 times per day) was measured. Outside temperature can affect the drinking regime of dairy cows. During lactation weeks with higher outside temperature higher average number of drinking events (ANDE) was determined. The biggest difference between weeks in ANDE 18.33 % (p = 0.000) was found. Daily ANDE 9.25 ±1.85 and average daily temperature (ADT) 19.03 ±5.19 °C were observed. The most of the drinking events (NDE) concentrated to 4 main peaks (25.17  %) during working hours (74.98  %) was found. After the feed intake and milking the highest frequencies of NDE were observed. The highest average ruminal temperature after drinking (ARTAD) during night before first feeding due to lower NDE in this time were found.  Overall ARTAD 36.86 °C was observed. The most measured ruminal temperatures after drinking (RTAD) (51.53 %) in the interval 35–37 °C were found. This research proved that continuous ruminal monitoring with boluses is an appropriate tool for drinking regime evaluation and heat stress determination in herd of dairy cows.

Keywords: dairy cows, Hostein cattle, bolus, rumen, temperature, water intake, outside temperature

References

Arias, R., Mader, T. and  Escobar, P. (2008)  Climatic factors affecting cattle performance in dairy and beef farms. Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria, vol.  40, no. 1, pp. 7-22. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0301-732x2008000100002

Bewley, J. M. et al. (2008)  Impact of Intake Water Temperatures on Reticular Temperatures of Lactating Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 91, no. 10, pp. 3880–3887. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1159

Bodas, R. et al. (2014) Ruminal pH and temperature, papilla characteristics, and animal performance of fattening calves fed concentrate or maize silage-based diets. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 74, no. 3, pp. 280–285. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-58392014000300005

Brown-Brandl, T. M. et al. (2006) Comparison of heat tolerance of feedlot heifers of different breeds. Livestock Science, vol. 105, no. 1, pp. 19-26. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2006.04.012

Burgos, M. S. et al. (2001) Effect of water restriction on feeding and metabolism in dairy cows. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 280, no. 2, pp. 418-427.

CARDOT, V., LE ROUX, Y. and JURJANZ, S. (2008) Drinking Behavior of Lactating Dairy Cows and Prediction of Their Water Intake. Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 91, no. 6, pp. 2257–2264. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0204

Gasteiner, J. et al. (2009) Measuring rumen pH and temperature by an indwelling and wireless data transmitting unit and application under different feeding conditions. In Papers Presented at the 4th European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming, Wageningen 6-8 July 2009.  Wageningen Academic Pub, pp. 127-133.

González Pereyra, A. V. et al. (2010) Influence of Water Temperature and Heat Stress on Drinking Water Intake in Dairy Cows. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 70, no. 2., pp 328-336. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-58392010000200017

Huzzey, J. M., von Keyserlingk, M. A. G. and  WEARY, D. M. (2005) Changes in Feeding, Drinking, and Standing Behavior of Dairy Cows During the Transition Period. Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 88, no. 7, pp. 2454–2461. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(05)72923-4

JAGO, J. G. et al. (2005) The drinking behaviour of dairy cows in late lactation. In 65th Conference of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Christchurch 21-24 June 2005. New Zealand: NZ Society Animal Production, pp. 153-156.

Matarazzo, S. V. et al. (2003) Water Intake and Behavior of Dairy Cows in Response to Environmental Conditions. In Fifth International Dairy Housing Proceedings, Forth Worth, 29-31 January 2003. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, pp 213-217. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.13031/2013.11624

Meyer, U. et al. (2004) Investigations on the water intake of lactating dairy cows. Livestock production science, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 117-121. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livprodsci.2004.03.005

Murphy, M. R. (1992) Water metabolism of dairy cattle. Journal of dairy science, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 326-333. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)77768-6

National Research Council (2001). Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle, 7th. rev. ed. Proceedings of National Academy Sciences, Washington,D.C.

Nocek, J. E. and Braund, D. G. (1985) Effect of feeding frequency on diurnal dry matter and water consumption, liquid dilution rate, and milk yield in first lactation. Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 68. no. 9, pp. 2238-2247. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(85)81096-1

Osborne, V. R., Hacker, R. R., and McBride, B. W. (2002) Effects of heated drinking water on the production responses of lactating Holstein and Jersey cows. Canadian journal of animal science, vol. 82, no. 3,  pp. 267-273. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4141/A01-055

Perera, K. S. et al. (1986) Effect of season and stage of lactation on performance of Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 69, no. 1, pp.  228-236. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(86)80390-3


Full Text:

PDF

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2017 Acta Fytotechnica et Zootechnica

© Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources