EFFECTS OF INGESTION OF WARM, COLD AND FROZEN WATER ON HEAT BALANCE IN CATTLE

A. A. DEGEN, B. A. YOUNG
1984 Canadian Journal of Animal Science  
DeceN, A. A. aNo Youxc, B. A. 1984. Effects of ingestion of warm, cold and frozen water on heat balance in cattle. Can. J. Four steers were used in a 4 x 4 latin-square-designed study that consisted of four 14-day periods and four water treatments. Once daily for 30 min, the steers were offered either snow, crushed ice, cold water (CW) near 0'C or warm water (WW near 30'C. These restricted water sources were offered 18 h after feeding to maximize possible thermal stress due to ingestion of the
more » ... old or frozen water. The snow and ice treatments reduced water intakes, rumen volume and dry matter of rumen contents. The maximum increment in metabolic heat production was observed with the ice treatment, 278Vo of preingestion metabolic rate, and this treatment also elevated metabolic rate for the longest time (182.5 min). The total increment in heat production by the steers was approximately 5OVa of the heat energy required to melt the snow or ice and raise the resultant water to body temperature. Minimal rumen temperatures were observed earlier than minimal rectal temperatures with the ice treatment resulting in the largest decrease in both rumen (16.5"C) and rectal (1.4"C) temperature. When offered choices of pairs of all combinations of snow, ice, CW and WW, the steers showed no preference for either the CW or WW. They preferred liquid water but would consume snow or ice when no liquid water was available. It was concluded that steers can tolerate thermal stress resulting from rapid ingestion of snow and ice drawing approximately equally from body heat and from increased metabolic heat production to compensate for the latent heat and heat of warming water. flngestion d'eau chaude, d'eau froide et de glace et ses effets sur l'6quilibre thermique des bovins.l Titre abr6g6: Ingestion d'eau froide et de glace. Quatre bouvillons ont 6td utilisds en carr6 latin de 4 x 4 dans le cadre d'une €tude sur quatre modes d'abreuvement 6tal6e sur quatre p6riodes de 14 jours. Une fois parjour pendant 30 min, on a offert aux bouvillons de la neige, de la glace pil6e, de I'eau froide (environ 0"C) ou de l'eau chaude (environ 30"C). L'eau, sous ses diff6rentes formes, a 6t6 offerte 18 heures aprds l'alimentation des animaux de manidre d maximiser le stress thermique 6ventuel d0 )r I'absorption d'eau froide ou de glace. La neige et la glace r6duisent l'absorption d'eau, le volume du rumen et la quantit6 de matidre sdche dans celui-ci. L'ingestion de glace a entrain6 la hausse de la chaleur m6tabolique produite la plus importante (218Vo du taux m6tabolique avant I'inge'stion) et la plus longue (182,5 min). La hausse totale de la chaleur produite par les bouvillons correspond environ d 5OVa de l'6nergie calorique n6cessaire pour faire fondre la neige ou la glace et porter la temp6rature de I'eau jusqu'ir celle du corps. La temp6rature minimum du rumen a 6t6 enregistr6e avant la temp6rature minimum du rectum et c'est I'absorption de glace qui a rPresent address (A.
doi:10.4141/cjas84-010 fatcat:x7c4ebqffvgsvimggekza42j5e