Effect of Consuming Water Treated with a Reverse Osmosis System on Pre-weaning Performance of Holstein-Friesian Heifer Calves in Northern Mexico

Background: Drinking water quality is an important factor in calf rearing as it can influence the calf’s intake and performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of reverse osmosis treated water supply on water intake, growth and pre-weaning feed efficiency rate in Holstein-Friesian heifer calves in northern Mexico. Methods: During the pre-weaning period, one group of calves had access to water treated by reverse osmosis and another to well water. Water and feed intake were recorded daily, while live weight and growth variables were evaluated weekly. The data obtained were analyzed using mixed linear models, except for the feed conversion ratio response variable which was evaluated by a student’s t-test for independent samples. Result: During the study period, water and feed intake increased with weeks of age, with no differences between treatments. Live weight, daily weight gain and measures of structural growth also did not differ between treatments. However, feed conversion ratio was lower in calves that received treated water (P = 0.039).