title: Effect of drinking water temperature on physiological variables of crossbred dairy cattle at high altitude temperate region of Himalayas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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).
  
  
  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°C (ambient water, T1), drinking water temperature at 15-20°C (T2) and drinking water temperature at 35-40°C (T3). 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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 T2 and in T3 than cows consumed (T1). The RM during morning among the treatments were non-significant as compared to the rumen motility at evening was significantly higher for (T1) and (T2) than for cows in (T3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be concluded that offering warm drinking water at 35-40°C to crossbred lactating dairy cow is beneficial during winter at high altitude temperate region.
authors.affiliation: Division of Temperate Animal Husbandry, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Golher
authors.affiliation: Division of Temperate Animal Husbandry, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thirumurugan
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production and Management Section, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: B H M
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production and Management Section, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production and Management Section, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.affiliation: Livestock Production and Management Section, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Gaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Husbandry, Livestock Supervisor Shivankhed, Zilla Parishad Latur, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bhoite
keywords: ambient; lactating; relative humidity; ruminal motility; temperate region