Effect of drinking water temperature on physiological variables of crossbred dairy cattle at high altitude temperate region of Himalayas

Aim: The objective of study was to investigate the effects of drinking water on certain physiological parameters such as heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT) and, ruminal motility (RM). Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out on 18 farm bred lactating crossbred cows. The animals selected for the study were divided into three groups of six animals each on the basis of milk yield and parity and were allotted to three treatment group of six each such as ambient drinking water temperature at 10.25 +/- 0.28 degrees C (ambient water, T-1), drinking water temperature at 15-20 degrees C (T-2) and drinking water temperature at 5-40 degrees C (T-3). All the managemental practices were kept similar during experiment except drinking water temperatures physiological variables such as HR, RR, RT, and RM of the individual cow was measured and recorded twice in a day at 800 h and again at 1400 h two consecutive days in a week 15 min after providing drinking water. Result: HR and RR at morning and at evening recorded were within the normal physiological level for all the treatment groups. However, RT at morning was comparable in all the treatments whereas at evening it was significantly (p<0.01) higher for cows consuming in T-2 and in T-3 than cows consumed (T-1). The RM during morning among the treatments were non-significant as compared to the rumen motility at evening was significantly higher for (T-1) and (T-2) than for cows in (T-3). Conclusion: It can be concluded that offering warm drinking water at 35-40 degrees C to crossbred lactating dairy cow is beneficial during winter at high altitude temperate region.