Livestock water needs in pastoral Africa in relation to climate and forage

Table of Contents

John M. King

ILCA Research Report No.7
International Livestock Centre for Africa
September 1 983

ILCA PUBLICATIONS The International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) is an autonomous, non-profit making research and information centre with a mandate to improve livestock production throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The activities and publications of the centre are financed by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The CGIAR members which have funded ILCA to date are the International Development Research Centre, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, and the governments of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Iran, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Responsibility for ILCA publications rests solely with the centre and with such other parties as may be cited as joint authors. Until 1982, the centre's two main series of scientific publications were Systems Studies and Monographs. These two series have now been superseded by the present series of Research Report.

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

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Table of Contents

Summary

Key words

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

2. Body water

2.1 Functions
2.2 Body water pool

2.2.1 Water storage
2.2.2 Oedema

3. Water balance

3.1 Dehydration
3.2 Channels of water loss

3.2.1 Evaporation
3.2.2 Urine
3.2.3 Faeces
3.2.4 Lactation

3.3 Channels of water gain

3.3.1 Drink
3.3.2 Water in food
3.3.3 Guttation, dew and hygroscopic plants
3.3.4 Respiratory and cutaneous water intake
3.3.5 Metabolic water
3.3.6 Milk
3.3.7 Faeces and urine

4. Factors affecting water turnover

4.1 Energy production

4.1.1 Forage intake and metabolism
4.1.2 Starvation
4.1.3 Endogenous heat production

4.2 Thermoregulation

4.2.1 Environmental heat and humidity
4.2.2 Cold and rain
4.2.3 Behavioural response to heat stress
4.2.4 Coat characteristics
4.2.5 Mass, shape and appendages
4.2.6 Body temperature fluctuation
4.2.7 Counter-current cooling

4.3 Water availability

4.3.1 Watering regime
4.3.2 Water restriction

4.4 Integration of energy metabolism, thermoregulation and water

5. Energy and water use in pastoral systems

5.1. Analytical background

5.1.1 Energy units
5.1.2 Forage intake
5.1.3 Energy use
5.1.4 Energy budgets
5.1.5 Tissue mobilisation
5.1.6 Response to chronic energy deficit

5.1.6.1 Drought

5.1.7 Compensatory growth
5.1.8 Body water turnover

5.2 Simulation by species

5.2.1 Zebu cow
5.2.2 Camel
5.2.3 Smallstock
5.2.4 Donkey

6. Water and livestock development

6.1 Rangeland

6.1.1 Uncontrolled grazing
6.1.2 Controlled grazing

6.2 Woodland

6.2.1 Tree shade

6.3 Livestock

6.3.1 Beef versus milk
6.3.2 Cattle improvement
6.3.3 Breeding cattle for pastoralism
6.3.4 Species mix
6.3.5 Centripetal watering
6.3.6 Restricted watering
6.3.7 Night grazing

7. Research implications

7.1 Modelling and hypothesis
7.2 Component research

7.2.1 Priority topics
7.2.2 Priority species

7.3 Field methods
7.4 Conclusion

References

Abbreviations used in the text