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The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613757235003392 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kirsten, Rosa |
| author2 | Van Zyl, Johan Hendrik Combrink
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| author_browse | Kirsten, Rosa Van Zyl, Johan Hendrik Combrink |
| author_facet | Van Zyl, Johan Hendrik Combrink
Kirsten, Rosa |
| author_sort | Kirsten, Rosa |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131713 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:12.661Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
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| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131713 The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production Kirsten, Rosa Van Zyl, Johan Hendrik Combrink Salie, Khalid Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Animal Science. Feedlots -- South Africa Climatic changes Climatic changes -- Effect of agriculture on Water quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape Groundwater -- Purification -- Management Livestock -- Breeding Lambs -- Production standards Lambs -- Feeding and feeds -- Climatic factors UCTD Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The agricultural sector plays an important role in the South African economy, especially when taking into consideration how interconnected and central this sector is to various other industry operations. Primary inputs of the South African agricultural sector include natural resources that amongst other include energy, soil, and water, which are all integral to sustainable agricultural ecosystems. As the effects of global warming increase, these resources become increasingly more under pressure, posing severe challenges to the sustainability and cost-efficiency of agricultural operations. As climate change aggravates, it affects the quality and quantity of water sources. The demand for food is projected to rise significantly by 2050, and therefore the role of livestock becomes even more important. The South African feedlot industry was reviewed in the literature study, highlighting factors affecting livestock performance, including nutrition, water quality, and growth promoters. Challenges around water in South Africa were also discussed, particularly focussing on the importance of water quality to ensure optimal animal health and productivity. Given the importance of water quality and availability on the health and productivity of livestock, it is important to understand the impact of seasonal changes on water quality parameters of importance to livestock. Therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the water quality of groundwater and surface water in the Western Cape, over season, on physiochemical water properties of importance to livestock against national and international guidelines, and to determine the effect of water quality on growth and profitability parameters of feedlot lambs. The first part of the study investigated the seasonal dynamics of ground- and surface water quality in the Western Cape province, South Africa, with regards to certain physicochemical and microbial parameters of importance to ruminant animals. The concentrations of most of the elements met the current South African water quality guidelines for ruminant use, except aluminium in surface water, and iron, pH and E. coli, in both surface- and groundwater, which exceeded maximum limits. Most elements present in groundwater were less concentrated during the rainy season, because of increased runoff causing a dilution effect. However, elements present in surface water spiked during spring, which might be due to anthropogenic activities. Differences in concentrations of physicochemical parameters could be explained by season, source, agricultural practices, geomorphology, and industrial activities. Seasonal patterns in levels of water quality parameters occurred as the use of land, farming activities, and rainfall intensity changed over season. Water management strategies should be accompanied by scheduled water quality monitoring with expected seasonal changes, to mitigate the effect of excessive elements on the health and performance of livestock. High degrees of variation over and within season would require larger data sets over multiple years to properly understand drinking water dynamics over time in future studies. A secondary study was conducted to determine the effect of livestock drinking water quality on growth parameters of feedlot lambs. Thirty-six store ram lambs were randomly allocated to three treatment groups, consisting of untreated dam water, aerated dam water, and municipal water. All animals were fed under feedlot conditions for 42 days. Animals in all groups were offered the same commercial complete finishing feed. Water treatment by aeration tended to improve water intakes (P < 0.05) when compared to untreated and municipal water. However, the type of water treatment had no effect on any of the growth parameters, carcass characteristics, or profitability parameters evaluated. The effect of the aeration water treatment method appeared to be related to improved water palatability, and thus increased water consumption. Drinking water treatment can therefore affect water intake, which although not observed in the current study, have been known to improve DMI and production. Due to ethical constraints, untreated water was well within limits of the South African livestock watering guidelines. Therefore, water quality between treatment groups might not have differed enough to allow differences in animal production performance associated with the improved water quality. Notably profitability between treatments did not differ, suggesting the effective use of aeration water treatment without affecting profit. Baseline information on the dynamics of drinking water quality for livestock performance at selected sites indicated that it is generally acceptable. However, with changing weather patterns and increasing multiple use of water resources, livestock farmers are encouraged to implement routine water quality monitoring to identify decreasing trends and introduce earlier mitigation to prevent commercial loss. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die landbousektor speel ‘n baie belangrike rol in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie, veral wanneer daar in ag geneem moet word hoe hierdie sektor direk, en indirek inskakel by verskeie ander sektore en industriële bedrywighede. Primêre insette van die landbousektor sluit in natuurlike hulpbronne soos energie, grond, en water. Soos aardverwarming vererger, word hierdie hulpbronne al hoe meer onder druk geplaas, wat vele uitdagings tot die volhoubaarheid en kostedoeltreffendheid van landboubedrywighede stel. Namate klimaatsverandering vererger, beïnvloed dit al hoe meer die kwaliteit en kwantiteit van waterbronne. Die vraag na voedsel sal na verwagting teen 2050 aansienlik styg, wat die belang van vee as proteïenbron tot die menslike dieet sal verhoog. Die literatuurstudie het die faktore wat veeprestasie beïnvloed, insluitende voeding, waterkwaliteit en groeibevorderaars in die Suid-Afrikaanse voerkraalbedryf ondersoek. Uitdagings rondom Suid-Afrikaanse waterbronne is ook bespreek, met klem op die belangrikheid van waterkwaliteit om optimale dieregesondheid en -produktiwiteit te verseker. Gegewe die belangrikheid van waterkwaliteit en beskikbaarheid vir veeproduksie, is dit belangrik om die impak van seisoenale veranderinge op belangrike watergehalteparameters vir vee te verstaan. Die doelwit van die studie was dus om die waterkwaliteit van grondwater en oppervlakwater in die Wes-Kaap te evalueer, om seisoenale veranderinge van fisiochemiese watereienskappe van belang vir vee teen nasionale en internasionale riglyne te ondersoek, en om die effek van waterkwaliteit op groei en winsgewendheid van voerkraal lammers te ondersoek. Die eerste deel van die studie het die seisoenale dinamika van grond- en oppervlakwaterkwaliteit in die Wes-Kaapse provinsie, Suid-Afrika, met betrekking tot sekere fisies- chemiese en mikrobiese parameters van belang vir herkouerdiere, ondersoek. Die vlakke van die meeste van die elemente het voldoen aan die Suid-Afrikaanse waterkwaliteitsvereistes vir herkouergebruik, behalwe aluminium in oppervlakwater, yster, pH en E. coli, in beide oppervlak- en grondwater, wat maksimum limiete oorskry het. Die meeste elemente in grondwater was minder gekonsentreerd gedurende die reënseisoen, weens verhoogde water afloop wat die verdunning van water veroorsaak het. Konsentrasies van verskeie elemente in oppervlakwater het egter gedurende die lente geweldig toegeneem. Hierdie toename gedurende lente kan waarskynlik aan antropogeniese redes toegeskryf word. Resultate van hierdie studie het aangedui dat elementkonsentrasies verband hou met seisoen, bron, landboupraktyke, geomorfologie en industriële aktiwiteite. Konsentrasies van waterkwaliteitparameters oor seisoen het varieer soos die gebruik van grond, boerderyaktiwiteite en reënvalintensiteit oor seisoen verander het. Waterbestuurstrategieë behoort dus vergesel word met geskeduleerde watergehaltemonitering, soos verwagte veranderinge plaasvind oor seisoen, om sodoende die effek van hoë elementkonsentraties op dieregesondheid en veeprestasie te verlaag. ‘n Relatiewe hoë mate van variasie oor, en binne seisoen, dui daarop dat meer monsters ook oor veelvuldige jare in opvolgstudies benodig sal word om water dinamika vir veesuipings in die Wes-Kaap beter te verstaan en te beskryf. 'n Tweede studie is uitgevoer om die effek van drinkwaterkwaliteit op die groeiparameters van voerkraallammers te bepaal. Ses-en-dertig stoorramlammers was ewekansig aan drie behandelingsgroepe toegewys, insluitend onbehandelde damwater, deurlugte damwater en munisipale water. Al die diere was vir 42 dae onder voerkraaltoestande met dieselfde kommersiële afrondingsvoer gevoer. Alle groepe was dieselfde standaardvoer aangebied. Waterbehandeling deur belugting het waterinnames (P < 0.05) verbeter teenoor onbehandelde en munisipale water. Die tipe waterbehandeling het egter geen effek op enige van die groeiparameters, karkaseienskappe of winsgewendheidsparameters gehad nie. Die effek van belugte water hou waarskynlik verband met verbeterde smaaklikheid, en daarom verhoogte waterinname (P < 0.05). Waterbehandeling kan daarom waterinname van vee beïnvloed, wat, alhoewel dit nie in hierdie studie waargeneem was nie, bekend is dat dit ook DMI kan bevoordeel. As gevolg van etiese beperkings was onbehandelde water binne perke van die Suid-Afrikaanse veesuipingsriglyne. Dus het waterkwaliteit tussen behandelingsgroepe moontlik nie genoeg verskil om verskille in diereproduksieprestasie wat met die verbeterde verbeterde watergehalte geassosieer word, toe te laat nie. Winsgewendheid tussen behandelings het nie verskil nie, wat dus die doeltreffende gebruik van belugtingswaterbehandeling voorstel, sonder om wins te affekteer. Weens etiese beperkings, was onbehandelde water wat in die studie gebruik is egter binne die aanvaarbare limiete van die Suid-Afrikaanse riglyne. Watergehalte tussen behandelingsgroepe het moontlik nie genoeg van mekaar verskil om enige noemenswaardige diereproduksieprestasie verbetering met verbeterde watergehalte te kon bewerkstellig nie. Basiese inligting oor die dinamika van drinkwaterkwaliteit vir veeprestasie by geselekteerde areas het aangedui dat dit oor die algemeen aanvaarbaar is. Met veranderende weerpatrone en toenemende veelvoudige gebruik van waterbronne, word veeboere egter aangemoedig om roetine- monitering van watergehalte te implementeer. Sodoende kan verlaagde waterkwaliteit vroeg geïdentifiseer word om waterbehandelings te implementeer, en daarmee kommersiële verliese in veeprestasie te voorkom. Masters 2025-02-20T07:21:51Z 2025-02-20T07:21:51Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131713 en Stellenbosch University xvi, 130 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Feedlots -- South Africa Climatic changes Climatic changes -- Effect of agriculture on Water quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape Groundwater -- Purification -- Management Livestock -- Breeding Lambs -- Production standards Lambs -- Feeding and feeds -- Climatic factors UCTD Kirsten, Rosa The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| title | The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| title_full | The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| title_fullStr | The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| title_short | The effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| title_sort | effect of source and season on water quality and the effect of water quality on feedlot lamb production |
| topic | Feedlots -- South Africa Climatic changes Climatic changes -- Effect of agriculture on Water quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape Groundwater -- Purification -- Management Livestock -- Breeding Lambs -- Production standards Lambs -- Feeding and feeds -- Climatic factors UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131713 |
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