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Proposing a strategy based on body-thermal status to improve the welfare of heat-stressed and water-deprived goats (Capra hircus).
Samara, Emad Mohammed; Al-Badwi, Mohammed A; Abdoun, Khalid A; Al-Haidary, Ahmed A.
Afiliação
  • Samara EM; Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
  • Al-Badwi MA; Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
  • Abdoun KA; Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
  • Al-Haidary AA; Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Anim Biosci ; 2024 May 07.
Article em En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38754843
ABSTRACT

Objective:

Despite the considerable body of research on the effects of heat stress coupled with water scarcity (either through restriction or deprivation) on goats, aimed at enhancing their welfare, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding the subsequent period following water restoration, during which the cumulative impact is fully alleviated. In response to this gap, we propose a strategy grounded in the assessment of body-thermal status to improve the welfare of heat-stressed and water-deprived goats. Specifically, our strategy seeks to determine the minimally required recovery interval necessary to completely mitigate the residual effects of water deprivation endured for a duration of 72 hours.

Methods:

Eight healthy Aardi bucks, aged 10 months and weighing 30 kg, were subjected to three distinct stages euhydration, dehydration, and rehydration. Each stage spanned for 72 hours except for the rehydration stage, which was left unrestricted. Various meteorological, biophysiological, and thermophysiological measurements were subsequently recorded.

Results:

Exposure of heat-stressed goats, as indicated by the temperature-humidity index values, to a 72 hours deprivation period resulted in noticeable (p<0.05) alterations in their biophysiological (daily feed intake, body weight, and feces water content) and thermophysiological responses (core, rectal, skin, and surface temperatures, respiratory and heart rates, internal, external, and total body-thermal gradients, heat tolerance and adaptability coefficients, heterothermial total body-heat storage, and total water conservation). Remarkably, our findings demonstrate that all assessed variables, whether measured or estimated, returned to their baseline euhydration levels within 10 days of commencing the rehydration phase.

Conclusion:

In order to improve the welfare of heat-stressed and 72 hours water-deprived goats, it is imperative to allow a recovery period of no less than 10 days following the restoration of water access prior to initiating any subsequent experiments involving these animals. Such experiments, addressing these critical aspects, serve to advance our understanding of goat welfare and obviously hold promise for contributing to future food security and economic viability.
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Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: MEDLINE Idioma: En Ano de publicação: 2024 Tipo de documento: Article

Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: MEDLINE Idioma: En Ano de publicação: 2024 Tipo de documento: Article