Preliminary appraisal of the drinking water quality in tropical dairy cattle smallholder farms

Abstract

Better drinking water quality (WQ) for dairy cattle on farms would improve cow health, milk yield, and raw milk quality. Therefore, a preliminary assessment of drinking water quality on smallholder dairy farms in a region of Indonesia became the main objective of the present exploration. Eight smallholder dairy cowsheds in the Indonesian ridge area were selected as the targeted sample sites. The entire water sample was collected during the daytime period. First, check the water quality sample using the organoleptic test. A rapid water quality tester with 10-in-1 features, including potential of hydrogen (pH), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrolyte conductivity (EC), salinity, salt, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), fertility, hydrogen (H₂), specific gravity (S.G.), ohm meter (Ω m), and temperature, was applied as an exploration instrument. A comprehensive descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The organoleptic test of dairy cows' drinking water turbidity showed that clear appearances predominated, with a small proportion rated as dirty and none in the turbid class. Still, the drinking water smelled smelly, with a predominantly petrichor and iron-like scent. The pH, ORP, and H₂ parameter scores were identified as a prominent issue due to their underscoring. While the TDS, EC, salt, S.G., fertility, and Ω m comply with the minimum standards. Preliminary exploration concluded that drinking water quality on Indonesian smallholder dairy farms needs to be improved promptly, particularly regarding water odor, taste, and pH.