The salinity tolerance of Javan rusa deer (Cervus timorensis russa) was investigated with seven stags, aged 4.5 years. Animals were offered a medium-quality chaffed lucerne hay and given five different levels of water salinity: (a) control (570 mg/kg of total dissolved salts (TDS)) and (b) 'saline' water with TDS contents of 1000, 3500, 6000 and 8500 mg/kg. Food intake, food digestibility and nitrogen balance were not affected by increasing salt concentration in drinking water, however the drinking water (DW) intake, the total (food plus drinking) water intake and the DW:dry-matter ratio increased with increasing salt concentration. Some deer given water containing 8500 mg TDS per kg showed signs of stress which included large between-day fluctuations in water intake, opening of the orbital gland, head shaking, and rapid breathing. Rusa deer can tolerate drinking water containing 6000 mg TDS per kg for at least 9 days without harmful effect but may be unable to tolerate water with 8500 mg TDS per kg.

Foraging behaviour of gregarious Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus was investigated in 7 individuals. Shrews were tested individually and in a 4-animal-group in a terrarium. Shrew behaviour was recorded in darkness using 2 infra-red sensitive video-cameras. Two experimental variants, with and without natural structures in the terrarium, were established. When foraging individually, N. anomalus consumed only few food portions at the places of finding. Shrews hoarded most food in the nest and/or in hiding-places and ate it under cover. The presence of natural structures caused hoarding and eating of food in scattered hiding-places, instead of carrying it to the nest. During group foraging, N. anomalus did not hoard food communally, and preparation of individual stores almost ceased. In all tests, they ate successively more food items at the places of finding as the duration of foraging increased.

Investigations were carried out on the effects of water and food deprivation on the milk yield, body weight, blood composition and urine volume of lactating Nubian goats. The animals survived 4 days of deprivation of either food or both food and water, but these treatments resulted in about 10 per cent loss in body weight, 85 per cent drop in urine volume, and cessation of milk production, but no significant changes in packed cell volume, serum sodium, potassium and total protein. The change in body weight could be reversed within 1 day, but the initial milk yield was not resumed during the 2 weeks immediately following restoration of food and water.

1. The effects on food intake and weight gain of offering broiler chickens (2 to 7 weeks of age) dry food, wet food, wet food containing whey, whey as drinking liquid and combinations of two of these were studied in 5 experiments. 2. Wet feed generally improved both weight gain and feed efficiencies significantly. Feeding whey also improved weight gain and feed conversion efficiency, but whey offered as a drinking fluid had an adverse effect on broiler performance. 3. When whey was offered both as drinking liquid and added to the food it had a deleterious effect. 4. When whey was offered from 4 or 6 weeks of age, it had a better effect than when offered from 2 weeks of age. 5. There was better performance when whey in the drinking water was diluted and/or offered on alternate days or half-days. 6. Broilers allowed to choose between wet and dry feed when water was freely available chose mostly dry feed; in the absence of drinking water they chose mostly wet food. Birds offered water and liquid whey avoided whey completely. 7. It is concluded that whey can be used in diets for broiler chickens by incorporating it in the food as long as drinking water is offered ad libitum. Whey may be offered as a drink if the food is mixed with 1.8 times its weight of water but it is better to dilute the whey with an equal volume of water whether it is added to food or given as drink. Good results can also be obtained when undiluted whey is offered alternately with water, either in half-day or full-day periods.

Study was preformed to assess the relationship between water consumption, feed intake, and respiratory disease in 2200 commercial finishing pigs in the U.K. The pigs were housed in 4 conventional finishing sheds in groups of 20-25 per pen and fed ad-lib. Water was supplied via bite drinkers. Meters were installed on the water supply line to each shed and daily readings were taken. Feed intake was assessed daily by the stockman. Coughing incidence was measured daily as an indicator of respiratory disease. On a clinicial evaluation Enzootic Pneumonia and/or Swine Influenza outbreaks occurred during the study. During the study 9 episode of decreased food intake occurred/ In 8 of these there was a concurrent decrease in water usage. During 4 episodes there was an increase in the coughing sours. In these 4 cases the water decrease preceeded the decline in food intake and the rise in coughing. A clear correlation between water consumption and food intake is demonstrated which suggests that daily water meter readings are an acceptable alternative to maintaining food intake as an indicator of health. It may be possible to use decreased water intakes as an indicator of impending respiratory disease. Overall a water intake of approx 1 litre per 10 kg body weight in the 30-60 kg range was observed.