Water's Role for Livestock and Animals

Water's Importance for Livestock

• Water is crucial for all organisms, making up one-half to two-thirds of the body mass in adults and more than 90% in newborns.
• Water is a universal solvent, facilitating biochemical reactions in digestion, absorption, and nutrient transport.
• Digestive juices and food components interact in the aqueous environment of water, enhancing digestion.
• Water aids excretion (urine, feces, sweat) of waste products.

Water's Role in Body Regulation

• Water's high specific heat helps regulate body temperature by absorbing heat from metabolic reactions.
• Evaporation of water (sweat) transports heat away from organs.
• Water maintains the acid-base balance of the body.
• Water acts as a cushion for tissue cells and the nervous system, protecting vital organs from injury.

Water's Composition and Functions in Animals

• Brain consists of 90% water.
• Blood is 83% water.
• Bones are 22% water.
• Muscles are 75% water.
• Water regulates body temperature.
• Water transports nutrients and oxygen to cells.
• Water moistens the air in the lungs.
• Water helps metabolism.
• Water protects organs.
• Water helps organs absorb nutrients efficiently.

Sources of Water

• Most water consumed by animals comes directly from drinking water or from the food.
• Metabolic or oxidative water is produced during the oxidation of carbohydrates (like glucose) to provide energy.
  • The oxidation of 100g of protein, carbohydrate or fat produces 40g, 60g or 109g of metabolic water respectively
• Carbohydrate (glucose) metabolism yields 60 % of its original weight in water and protein generates 40%. Fat yields over 100% of its original weight.

Water-Holding Capacity

• Water-holding capacity of feed is dictated by non-starch carbohydrates (fiber) within the foodstuff.
• Feedstuffs high in water-holding capacity (e.g., sugarbeet pulp, linseed meal, lupin seeds, certain barley, wheat, and other cereals) can influence how quickly the feed moves through the digestive tract.
• Increased intake of non-starch polysaccharides slows feed passage time in the digestive tract.

Water Excretion

• Water loss occurs via urine, feces, sweat, and through the lungs/respiration as well as milk and egg production.
• Animals have limited urine output reduction when water deprived.
• Cattle feces have higher moisture content than sheep.
• Urinary water loss varies depending on weather and the type of food an animal consumes.
• High-fiber diets correlate to increased water in feces.
• Sheep produce drier, pellet-type feces (13%-24%) to minimize water loss compared to cows (30%-32%).

Water Deprivation

• Insufficient water intake disrupts vital processes in animals.
• Loss of water through skin, lung, and urine production.
• Circulatory volume decrease followed by reduced blood pressure and increased heart rate.
• Water deprivation can lead to collapse, kidney failure and death

Water Requirement and Animals

• Animals (especially those who are actively losing or gaining weight, ill or pregnant/lactating) have varying water needs depending on activity levels.
• Heat stress, high-fiber diets, and high levels of salt or protein intake increase water needs.
• Younger animals require proportionally more water daily than their larger counterparts.
• Birds require less water than mammals due to different metabolic products.

Average Daily Water Needs

• Average water intake varies based on the animal.
  • Beef Cattle: 25-65 liters/day
  • Dairy Cattle: 40-120 liters/day
  • Horses: 30-45 liters/day
  • Sheep and Goats: 3-15 liters/day