PSX-30 Drinking preferences of natural sources of brackish groundwater by yearling goats and sheep
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The nature and amounts of total dissolved solids (TDS) in brackish groundwater (BGW) sources vary widely, which may have influence on drinking preferences in small ruminants. A study was conducted to evaluate the water intake preferences of different brackish groundwater (BGW) sources in yearling Alpine [initial body weight (BW) = 36.0 ± 4.92 kg] and Spanish (22.0 ± 1.62 kg initial BW) goats and Katahdin (48.7 ± 1.42 kg initial BW) sheep. After a control phase offering tap water only for 7 d, a pairwise preference test was performed by providing one bucket with fresh tap water (FRW) and another with BGW for 3 d followed by 1 d of FRW only for each BGW testing. Thereafter, a free-choice preference test was conducted for 21 d during which five buckets were simultaneously offered with one FRW and four BGW sources. Four brackish water sources from Oklahoma, were United States Geological Survey (USGS) group 2 (GR-2; calcium sulfate dominant), 3 (GR-3; sodium chloride dominant), and two unclassified groups with sodium chloride and sulfate dominant (GR-U1) and sodium sulfate (GR-U2). The concentration of total dissolved solids in these water types were 494, 7,455, 3,048, 5,459, and 2,650 mg/kg for FRW, GR-2, GR-3, GR-U1, and GR-U2, respectively. In the pairwise test, Alpine and Spanish goats consumed (P < 0.05) GR-U1 lesser amounts (water intake of 23.9 versus 44.6 for Alpine, 43.4 versus 32.5 for Katahdin, and 13.5 versus 44.3 g/kg BW for Spanish; SE = 8.00); whereas Katahdin sheep consumed (P < 0.05) GR-2 lesser amounts than FRW (24.0 versus 28.1 for Alpine, 6.27 versus 50.4 for Katahdin, and 15.4 versus 32.1 g/kg BW for Spanish; SE = 7.21). There were no significant differences (P >0.05) among the animals for GR-3 and GR-U2 preferences compared with FRW. In the free-choice test, there was a significant (P = 0.001) interaction effect between water source and animal type. Alpine goats preferred GR-3 more (P < 0.05) than FRW, GR-U1, and GR-U2 (9.41, 10.4, 14.4, 24.3, and 6.92 g/kg BW), Katahdin consumed GR-U1 most (P < 0.05) followed by GR-3 than other sources (5.95, 36.0, 1.01, 15.8, and 6.53 g/kg BW), and Spanish consumed GR-U1 more (P < 0.05) than GR-2 (10.0, 20.3, 3.66, 12.7, and 3.91 g/kg BW for FRW, BRL, GR-2, GR-3, and GR-U, respectively; SE = 3.83). This study suggests that drinking water preferences vary among different USGS groups of BGW and small ruminant breeds, indicating taste differences of these BGW sources among the breeds.
Source: Journal of Animal Science
Institutions: Langston University, Oklahoma State University
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4402533614