Effects of the concentration and nature of total dissolved solids in drinking water on feed intake, nutrient digestion, energy balance, methane emission, ruminal fermentation, and blood constituents in different breeds of young goats and hair sheep

Understanding how different livestock species and breeds respond to consumption of brackish water could improve usage of this resource. Therefore, Angora, Boer, and Spanish goat doelings and Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix ewe lambs (6 animals per animal type [AT]; initial age = 296 ± 2.1 days) consuming water with varying concentrations of minerals of a natural brackish water source (BR) and sodium chloride (NaCl; SL) were used to determine effects on water and feed intake, nutrient digestion, heat energy, methane emission, ruminal fluid conditions, and blood constituent concentrations. There were 6 simultaneous 6 (water treatments [WT]) × 6 (AT) Latin squares with 3-wk periods. The WT were fresh (FR), BR alone (100-BR), a similar total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration as 100-BR via NaCl addition to FR (100-SL), BR with concentrations of all minerals increased by approximately 50% (150-BR), a similar TDS level as 150-BR by NaCl addition to FR (150-SL), and a similar 150 TDS level achieved by addition of a 1:1 mixture of BR minerals and NaCl to 100-BR (150-BR/SL). Concentrations (mg/kg) in BR were 4928 TDS, 85.9 bicarbonate, 224.9 calcium, 1175 chloride, 60.5 magnesium, 4.59 potassium, 1387 sodium, 1962 sulfate, and 8.3 boron, and TDS in other WT were 209, 5684, 7508, 8309, and 7319 for FR, 100-SL, 150-BR, 150-SL, and 150-BR/SL, respectively. There were very few significant effects of WT or AT × WT interactions, although AT had numerous effects. Water intake was affected by AT (P = 0.02) and WT (P = 0.04) with greater water intake for 150-SL than for FR, 100-BR, 100-SL, and 150-BR. Dry matter intake among AT was lowest (P < 0.05) for Angora. Digestion of organic matter and neutral detergent fiber and heat energy differed among AT (P < 0.05), but nitrogen digestion and ruminal methane emission were similar among AT. Blood aldosterone concentration was higher (P < 0.05) for FR than for other WT. In conclusion, all AT seemed resilient to these WT regardless of mineral source and concentrations, with TDS less than 8300 mg/kg, which did not influence nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation, energy balance, or blood constituent levels.