Effect of different sources of water on water quality and growth performance of growing bull

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different sources of water on feed intake and growth performance of growing bull. For this study, sixteen indigenous bulls (Bos indicus), around two years age (132.5±20.5 kg of LW), were divided into four groups having four animals in each treatment group. The animals were supplied with four different sources of water viz. Deep Tube Well Water (DTW =T₁), Supply Water from reserve tank (SW = T₂), Pond water (PW = T₃) and River water (RW = T₄). All the animals were fed German Grass (Echinochloa polystachya L.) and concentrate mixture. All the animals were free access to water. Live weight was recorded initially and week interval till end of the feeding trial (12 weeks). The results revealed that animal belonging T₁ treatment group showed best growth performance was better in comparison to other treatment groups. Dry matter intake (DMI) was highest for T₁ group (3.08 ± 0.08 kg/d) and lowest for T₄ group (2.81 ± 0.18 kg/d). The digestible nitrogen free extract (DNFE) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) were higher (P<0.05)in T₁ group compared to other groups. The highest daily body weight gain (336.49±59.40 g/d) was observed in T₁ group. Based on the results, it is concluded that deep tube well water (T₁) is suitable for cattle for its quality which showed positive impact on intake and growth of animals. Further study might be needed to compare the cost involvement for different sources of water and economy of growth of animals.

Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2019. 48 (1): 9-16