Drinking Heated Water Improves Performance via Increasing Nutrient Digestibility and Ruminal Fermentation Function in Yak Calves

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of heated water intake on the growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and ruminal fermentation function of yak calves in winter. A total of 24 yaks (59.09 ± 3.181 kg) were randomly selected and divided into a cold water (fluctuated with the temperature of test sites at 0–10 °C) group (CW) (58.58 ± 3.592 kg) and a heated water (20 °C) group (HW) (59.61 ± 2.772 kg). After 2 months of the experiment, body weight, serum biochemical indexes, ruminal fermentation characteristics and ATTD were measured. The results showed that drinking heated water increased (p p p p p p p < 0.05). In conclusion, drinking heated water at 20 °C could improve performance via increasing nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation function in yak calves.

Keywords

• yak calves
• heated water
• performance
• nutrient digestibility
• ruminal function
• serum index