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Why should sheep drink enough warm water in winter and spring?

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In winter and spring, because the temperature is relatively low, if sheep are given cold water or even water with ice particles, they are unwilling to drink it, which will cause insufficient water intake. This not only slows down the digestion of sheep feed, blocks metabolism in the body, and reduces body condition, but also causes various diseases. Therefore, in production, drinking water conditions must be created for sheep to ensure clean and sufficient drinking water. Drinking water temperature: if the water the sheep drink is too low in temperature, the water will absorb the heat that the sheep itself converts from feed, which will reduce feed utilization. Therefore, in winter and spring, the best drinking water temperature for sheep is 20-30°C

In winter and spring, because the temperature is relatively low, if sheep are given cold water or even water with ice particles, they are unwilling to drink it, which will cause insufficient water intake. This not only slows down the digestion of sheep feed, blocks metabolism in the body, and reduces body condition, but also causes various diseases. Therefore, in production, drinking water conditions must be created for sheep to ensure clean and sufficient drinking water.

Drinking water temperature: if the water the sheep drink is too low in temperature, the water will absorb the heat that the sheep itself converts from feed, which will reduce feed utilization. Therefore, in winter and spring, the best drinking water temperature for sheep is 20-30°C.

Drinking water form: in order to encourage sheep to drink more water and drink enough water, sheep can be given concentrated feed soup. The method is: first scald the concentrated feed with boiling water, stir evenly to make it into a paste, then add a certain amount of water, stir evenly, and give it to the sheep to drink.

Drinking water quantity: for every 1 kg of dry matter a sheep eats, it needs to drink 3-5 kg of water. Therefore, in winter and spring, depending on the situation of the forage and feed the sheep eats, give the sheep water at 3-5 times the amount of dry matter.

Drinking time: drinking on an empty stomach, if the water temperature is on the low side, will cause the sheep's body temperature to drop sharply, making the sheep prone to colds and fever, and pregnant ewes drinking cold water on an empty stomach are prone to miscarriage. In production, sheep should be given water 1 hour after feeding grass and feed. This can also allow the water and forage to mix fully in the sheep's rumen, which helps digestion.

Drinking frequency: it is appropriate to give sheep water twice, in the morning and in the evening. If conditions do not allow it, drink at least once, but be careful to drink enough.

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