Influence of Watering Frequency on forage Consumption and Steer Performance in Southeastern Kenya
Issue Date
1987-09-01Keywords
water intakezebu
water requirements
liveweight gain
water availability
Kenya
steers
seasonal variation
forage
feed intake
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Musimba, N. K., Pieper, R. D., Wallace, J. D., & Galyean, M. L. (1987). Influence of watering frequency on forage consumption and steer performance in southeastern Kenya. Journal of Range Management, 40(5), 412-415.Publisher
Society for Range ManagementJournal
Journal of Range ManagementDOI
10.2307/3899599Additional Links
https://rangelands.org/Abstract
Forty-five zebu steers (avg wt 311 kg) were allotted to 3 watering frequency treatments with 15 steers/treatment. The treatments involved watering once every day (1/1), watering once every 2 days (1/2) and watering once every 3 days (1/3) to investigate the effect of watering frequency on forage consumption and steer performance. Three steers/treatment were used to quantify fecal output and estimated forage consumption. All steers were grazed together in a 100-ha paddock for 10 hours daily and confined in a corral overnight. Steers were allowed ad libitum access to water only in the evenings according to the watering schedule. The study was conducted over 6 months, during which time total fecal collections were made in March, April, June, and July. All steers were weighed approximately every 2 weeks. Forage consumption was reduced (P<0.01) for steers watering (1/2) and (1/3), compared with the (1/1) watered group. Forage intake was highest (P<0.01) in April when herbage was green and growing. Steer performance followed a seasonal pattern reflecting changes in forage quality. Watering frequency did not influence steer performance. Reducing watering frequency from daily to once ever 2 or 3 days may enhance utilization of available range and save on cost of providing water for cattle under certain pastoral conditions.Type
textArticle
Language
enISSN
0022-409Xae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2307/3899599