Water and energy Flashcards
Water is how important
Major important nutrients to life, participating in all major physiological functions
Major constituent of animal’s body (75% at birth, 60% in adult age)
Classified as a macronutrient
Required in large amounts
Unlike protein, fat or carbohydrates, does not provide a source of energy
How does water help the body
Disperses nutrients and waste
Promotes optimal environment for biochemical reactions
Regulates body temperature
Lubricates joints, eyes and inner ear (transmits sound)
3 natural sources of water
Drinking
Food (variable amounts of water depending on food type)
Oxidation reactions in nutrients
Water provision is
Free choice fresh water is the general recommendation for all species
Recognized that cattle at maintenance (includes early and mid pregnancy) can obtain their water needs from snow (not ice)
Lack of water can casue
Thirst and dehydration
Reduced heat tolerance
Poor performance
Poor production
Death (3 to 10 d.)
Colic (especially horses)
Sources of water
Big problem in North America is usually quality, not availability
Surface water
Open (flowing)
Closed (salt lakes)
Well water
Water quality affects and how
Water quality affects feed intake
Poor water quality decreases water consumption and food intake, which decreases performance
How does water intake vary
Water intake can vary depending on the physiological status of the animal
Beef cow can drink 5% of her body weight per day
Dairy cow producing milk may drink four times that much
Allowing animals to enter water source to drink is poor practice because
Results in fecal contamination of water
Many enteric bacteria, protozoa and parasites can be transmitted by fecal contamination of water
Animals that routinely enter stagnant watering sources are at risk for bacterial infections
Trials have shown that most times animals will preferentially select to drink water from alternative sources, if given the choice
Fencing water sources are
Use pump to deliver water to a nearby trough
Can be combined with aeration
Windmills can use wind energy to pump water from sources
Less microbial contamination
benefits to fencing water sources
Preserves banks
Less nutrients in water from saliva (K, P, N) so less algal growth.
Less disease
Better growth of calves
Less algal blooms
Blue green algae poisoning is
Cyanobacteria are common inhabitants of ponds and lakes
Multiply if:
Warm weather
Organic nutrients suddenly increase due to run off from slurry (liquid waste) from lagoons or fertilizers (N, P)
Steady, gentle wind may concentrate
Many species float and may be visible as a scum (makes water turbid)
A few species produce toxins
CNS signs and death (often sudden with little warning)
Fence off and aerate water
Mineral concentration is particularly a problem in
Arid areas
Closed surface waters
Wells
How does arid areas affect mineral contamination
High air temperature and low soil moisture results in high soil temperatures which stimulate bacterial respiration
Results in soils with 10x lower organic carbon and nitrogen
How does closed waters affect mineral concentration
Flows in and evaporates
Especially late summer
Great Salt Lake
How do wells affect mineral contamination
Shallow to medium depth
Minerals can contaminate a private well through groundwater movement and surface water seepage and water run-off
Mineral contamination in prairie sloughs
Typically lowest mineral content in spring following runoff
Highest in late summer
Most sloughs dry up in summer (1/3 of then disappear by mid-July in driest regions)
Evaporation plus desiccating winds concentrate the nutrients that get washed into sloughs
Two main profiles of mineral contamination
Calcium and Magnesium plus Carbonates and Bicarbonates (Shell Remnants, Hard water)
These are the most common type
Sodium and Potassium plus Chloride and Sulfates (Dried out seas)
Total dissolved solids is
Most Useful Overall Indicator
Sometimes measured as sum of ions
Sometimes measured as conductance
Easy to measure but not quite as accurate as directly measuring TDS
