Adaptation capacity to saline drinking water in goats (Capra hircus)

Ground and surface water sources in the globe are increasingly getting contaminated with increased salinity caused by global climatic changes. This increasing salinity problem is not bounded only within coastal areas, in many arid and Pacific areas inside water-bodies are also frequently getting contaminated by salinity. Nowadays, more moderate European coastal habitats are also confronted with this phenomenon. This salinity problem is considered as a potential threat to farm animal health and production. It is important to know the physiological and adaptation capacity of animals to tolerate saline water without impairing their health. This dissertation investigated the preferences and adaptation capacities of goats to saline drinking water as well as the physiological mechanisms underlying the adaptation process to increased salinity. The main focus was on the possibility to adapt the animals to increased saline concentrations in drinking water via a stepwise habituation. Blood parameters and rumen temperature were also recorded to evaluate goats’ capacity in maintaining sodium balance, to detect possible health problems, and evaluate the suitability of the applied adaptation scheme.