Effect of cold drinking water on performance, rectal temperature, respiratory rate of Zebu and Jersey cattle in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

High ambient temperature and relative humidity exert a negative effect on the performance of both Bostaurus and Bosindicus cattle in Nigeria. The use of water sprinklers to shower cattle may have the ability to mitigate the effect of heat stress. In this study, cold drinking water (10 C 15 C) and ordinary drinking water (20 C -25 C) were offered to six Jersey and six Sokoto Gudali heifers to compare the effect on heat stress. They were divided into two treatments each. Each treatment had three replicates and cattle were assigned in a completely randomised design to the treatment. Rectal temperature, respiratory rate, dry matter intake, daily weight gain and percentage body weight were measured. At three months of administration of treatment, mean morning and afternoon RT varied from 37.94C to39.17 C for Sokoto Gudali and 37.97 C to 39.21 C for Jersey heifers, RR varied from 20.54 bpm to 30.73 bpm for Gudali and 32.17 bpm to 42.63 bpm for Jersey heifers. There were significant (P<0.05) differences in respiratory rate, rectal temperature and dry matter intake between both the zebu and exotic heifers given ordinary water and those given cold water when treatments were administered. Mean RT was 38.99 C and 38.14 C for Gudali and 38.98 C and 38.34 C for Jersey heifers while mean RR was 28.12 bpm and 23.11 bpm for Gudali and 39.89 and 33.78 bpm for Jersey heifers. DMI were 4.14 kg/d and 6.01 kg/d, daily weight gain were 0.27 kg/d and 0.50 kg/d and FCR were 15.33 and 12.02. Cold drinking water is an effective method of ameliorating heat stress in zebu and Jersey breeds of cattle.