eng
Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture
Journal of Animal and Poultry Production
2090-3642
2090-3723
2011-10-01
2
10
375
385
10.21608/jappmu.2011.83399
83399
Original Article
EWES AND LAMBS BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSES TO CHANGES IN LAMB’S COAT COLOUR: I. BLACKENING OF A PART OR WHOLE BODY IN EGYPTIAN BARKI SHEEP
M. Abd-Alla
1
Rania Agamy
2
A . Abdel-Moneim
3
Dept. of Animal Production, Fac. Agric., Cairo University, Giza-Egypt.
Dept. of Animal Production, Fac. Agric., Cairo University, Giza-Egypt.
Dept. of Animal Production, Fac. Agric., Cairo University, Giza-Egypt.
Twenty eight Barki ewes with their lambs were used to examine the effect of blackening of a part (whole body except head, rump with tail,around eyes and head) or whole body of lambs on maternal responsiveness of Barki (white breed) ewes during the 2 nd week after lambing. Ewes and lambs were separated (50 m away from each other) for 4 hours before test period. Behavioural displayes of dams and lambs were recorded for 10 min when lambs were introduced to dams. Blackening of a part or whole body of lambs reduced significantly (P< 0.01) number of acceptances at the udder compared with unblackened ones. Number of rejections at udder was significantly (P<0.05) less in unblackened lambs and those lambs with blackened eye region or blackened head. Lambs blackened, whole body except head, paced significantly (P<0.05) longer distance towards their dams. Lambs completely or partially blackened, including those with black rump, eye region or head, followed, respectively, in this order. Meanwhile, blackening treatment had a significant (P<0.05) effect on number of suckling attempts. The highest number of suckling attempts was exhibited by the completely black lambs, followed, respectively, by those of black rump and those with black body excluding head. Less suckling attempts were observed by lambs with black head and those with black region of the eyes. It could be deduced that vision seems to play an important role in discrimination between ewes and their lambs at the early stages of lamb’s life.
https://jappmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_83399_7d04764b581cc8563906faa1c9cf7d28.pdf
maternal behaviour
blackening
Barki lambs
visual cue
eng
Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture
Journal of Animal and Poultry Production
2090-3642
2090-3723
2011-10-01
2
10
387
391
10.21608/jappmu.2011.83401
83401
Original Article
SEASONAL EFFECTS ON BLOOD AND TISSUE LIPIDS OF CAMELS (Camelus dromedaries)
Wissam El-Zeiny
1
Afaf Abd El-Hamid
2
Dept. of Physiology, Animal and Poultry Res. Division, Desert Res. Center, Cairo, Egypt.
Dept. of Physiology, Animal and Poultry Res. Division, Desert Res. Center, Cairo, Egypt.
Blood and tissue lipids of camels were studied in summer and winter, where fat mobilization and deposition, respectively, may prevail parallel to the changing food availability and the nutritional state. When animals were better nourished in winter, serum concentrations of total lipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol increased. Extracted fat content in adipose tissue was also greater in winter than in summer. Adipose fatty acids were less saturated and average chain length was shorter in winter than in summer. Further experimentation dealing with possible metabolic adaptations in camels in comparison to ruminants is warranted.
https://jappmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_83401_7cd3dc1d84891423fec3116784c5b2e6.pdf
camel
season
blood lipids
tissue lipids
eng
Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture
Journal of Animal and Poultry Production
2090-3642
2090-3723
2011-10-01
2
10
393
409
10.21608/jappmu.2011.83402
83402
Original Article
SWEATING LOSSES OF UREA, SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN BARKI SHEEP UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS OF SEMI-ARID COASTAL DESERT CONDITIONS
Wissam El-Zeiny
1
Dept. of Physiology, Animal and Poultry Res. Division, Desert Res. Centre, Al-Matareya, Cairo, Egypt.
The present study was intended to investigate the effects of watering regimen, protein intake, housing environment and season on the potential losses of urea, sodium and potassium in the sweat of Barki sheep.
Sweating rate, Na+, K+ and urea concentration in sweat and serum, and sweat Na+, K+ and urea output were determined in eight non-pregnant non-lactating Barki ewes fed at the maintenance energy level. Half of the animals were watered daily, whereas the other half was intermittently watered once every three days. There were two levels of protein intake, however, 100% and 50% of their estimated maintenance requirements. Moreover, half of the animals were kept outdoors and not sheltered whereas the other half was housed indoors. The experimental treatments were repeated three times between April and August to represent spring, early summer, and late summer seasons.
The sweating rate in daily watered sheep was about 108 g/m2/h. The outdoor sheep had significantly higher sweat rates than those kept indoors. Also, the sweating rate of sheep in early and late summer was significantly higher than those in spring. Water deprivation and the level of protein intake did not significantly affect sweat rate. The urea excreted in sweat followed changes in sweat rate. Urea output increased in animals kept outdoors as compared to indoors and in summer as compared to spring. The sweat:serum urea concentration ratio was always less than one. The ratio ranged from 0.5 to 0.1 which possibly indicates passive diffusion of urea into the sweat. Sweat:serum concentration ratio ranged from 1.00 to 1.87 for sodium and from 149.7 to 224.5 for potassium for the different experimental treatments. Consequently, the sweat K+ output was much greater than that of Na+ even though its serum concentration was much less than Na+. The increase in K/Na ratio may suggest the presence of a Na+:K+ exchange mechanism in the duct of the sweat gland similar to that in the distal tubule of the kidney. The present results gave evidence that losses of potassium, sodium and to some extent urea in sweat could be quantitatively significant affecting the nutritional and physiologic state of the desert animal and in particular the acid-base balance of blood and other body fluids. Quantitative assessment of such losses under different conditions of environmental stress would be essential in devising sound management systems.
https://jappmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_83402_e6e014b6931fbb9dd924851d177de942.pdf
sheep
sweat
sodium
potassium
urea
Stress
eng
Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture
Journal of Animal and Poultry Production
2090-3642
2090-3723
2011-10-01
2
10
411
426
10.21608/jappmu.2011.83404
83404
Original Article
EFFECTS OF SEASON, HOUSING ENVIRONMENT AND WATER DEPRIVATION ON RECTAL AND SKIN TEMPERATURE REGULATION IN BARKI DESERT SHEEP
Wissam El-Zeiny
1
Department of Physiology, Animal and Poultry Research Division, Desert Research Centre, Al-Matareya, Cairo, Egypt.
This study was conducted at Maryout Experiment Station near Alexandria, 32° latitude, affiliated to the DesertResearchCenter in Cairo. In this study, the effect of heat stress resulting from the combined effects of water deprivation, the housing environment and season of the year on the changes of rectal (RT) and skin temperature (ST) and their amplitude (differences between morning and afternoon values), as well as gradients between core and surface temperatures and the ambient temperature were investigated in eight non-pregnant and non lactating adult 4-5 years old Barki ewes fed at the maintenance energy level. Half the animals were watered daily whereas the other half was watered intermittently, once every 3 days. Moreover, half the animals were kept outdoors and not sheltered whereas the other half was housed indoors. The experimental treatments were repeated three times between April and August to represent spring, early summer and late summer seasons. Ambient temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH%) and animal data, rectal (RT) and skin (ST) temperatures were recorded twice daily at 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM for three consecutive days representing a complete water deprivation cycle.
It was noticeable that the housing environment was a significant source of variation affecting RT, ST and their amplitude, as well as core, skin, and ambient temperature gradients. RT and ST were always lower outdoors than indoors in the morning. Conversely, in the afternoon they were higher outdoors than indoors. Therefore, outdoor RT and ST differences (PM-AM) and gradients were greater than those indoors. On the other hand, time of the year (spring, early summer, and late summer) was a statistically significant source of variation affecting ST and rectal-skin gradient in the afternoon and rectal-air and skin-air in the morning and in the afternoon. The effect of water deprivation was not significant on RT, ST, their amplitude or gradients. Evident was the capacity of sheep to maintain constant, the overall rectal-air temperature gradient through varying rectal-skin and skin-air gradients, and invariably in opposite direction. This was aided by the fact that Ta were constantly lower than the RT and ST. Hence, the temperature of the skin and its regulation determines to a large extent the core temperature of sheep. In further studies gradual and long term adaptation experiments, longer cycles of water deprivation and measurement of body fluid changes and stress telated hormones would be needed.
https://jappmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_83404_dd39487818e64c9ba91bcac277ddce04.pdf
sheep
Dehydration
season
Shelter
thermoregulation
eng
Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture
Journal of Animal and Poultry Production
2090-3642
2090-3723
2011-10-01
2
10
427
437
10.21608/jappmu.2011.83406
83406
Original Article
THERMOREGULATION IN THE ONE-HUMPED SHE CAMEL (Camelus dromedarius): DIURNAL AND SEASONAL EFFECTS ON CORE AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES
Afaf Abdel-Hameed
1
Wissam El-Zeiny
2
S. Zaakoug
3
Animal Physiology Dept,, Desert Research Center, Al Matareya, Cairo, Egypt
Zoology Dept., Fac. of Sci., Al-Azhar Univ., Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt
Zoology Dept., Fac. of Sci., Al-Azhar Univ., Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt
The study was carried out at Maryout Research Station, 35 km to Southwest of Alexandria that belongs to the Desert Research Center (DRC), Egypt. The study was performed to evaluate the thermoregulatory ability of one-humped she camel (Camelus dromedarius) during summer and winter seasons. Five adult healthy she-camels aged 6-8 years with initial body weight recorded 522.00±3.52 and 613.00±6.63 kg for summer and winter seasons, respectively, were used. The animals were kept in outdoor pen (un-shaded).
Rectal (RT), skin surface (SST), surface coat (SCT) and mid-coat (MCT) temperatures were measured 3 times daily (6:00 am; 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm) during the ten middle days of each month during both summer (from June till August) and winter (from December till February). Ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded at 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 hr during summer and winter seasons.
Regarding the effect of season on RT, the results indicated that there were significant differences (P<0.01) between seasons. Average RT was 38.6 and 37.45 ºC during summer and winter seasons, respectively. In general, seasonal and diurnal variations in rectal temperature followed closely observed changes in the temperature-humidity index (THI).
Skin surface temperature(SST)varied between the selected sites over the animal’s body and between seasons. The changes in SST at the selected sites were higher (P<0.01) under cold climatic conditions (winter) than warm climatic conditions (summer). These results indicated that SSTwas dependent on climatic conditions.
The results revealed that SSTrecorded highly (P<0.01) significant differences between hump (represent site exposed to sun) and abdomen (represent site not exposed to sun). The hump site was the warmest during summer (35.5 and 33.27 ºC) and winter (16.23 and 20.17 ºC) for SCT and MCT, respectively, whereas AB site recorded the lowest readings during summer (30.30 and 28.57 ºC) and winter (10.70 and 13.07 ºC) for SCT and MCT, respectively. The mid-coat temperature is less than surface-coat temperature in summer in order to decrease the transfer of heat from air to the skin. Meanwhile, the mid-coat temperature is more than surface-coat temperature in winter to minimize or prevent the dissipation of heat from the skin to the environment and preserve skin temperature as much as possible. The camels' coats, which are hairy rather than wooly in nature, create a favorable microclimatic buffer zone that separate the body surface from the surrounding harsh climatic conditions.
https://jappmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_83406_519f3b186a853dd508dc9894d2d1a2ac.pdf
She Camel
dromedary
thermoregulation
diurnal rhythms
diurnal season effects
eng
Mansoura University, Faculty of Agriculture
Journal of Animal and Poultry Production
2090-3642
2090-3723
2011-10-01
2
10
439
456
10.21608/jappmu.2011.83408
83408
Original Article
EFFECT OF SEASONAL VARIATION ON THE TEMPERATURE, THICKNESS, HYDRATION AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF THE SKIN OF ONE-HUMPED CAMELS (Camelus dromedaries)
Afaf Abdel-Hameed
1
Wissam El-Zeiny
2
S. Zaakoug
3
Animal Physiology Dept., Desert Res. Center, Al Matareya, Cairo, Egypt
Animal Physiology Dept., Desert Res. Center, Al Matareya, Cairo, Egypt
Zoology Dept., Fac. Sci., Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt
Skin temperature is essentially a resultant of heat production and heat loss, and as these two factors may be altered by wide ranges in environmental conditions, the present study was conducted to compare the influence of hot (summer) and cold (winter) environmental temperatures on the diurnal variations of surface skin temperature (SST), skin thickness (ST), skin hydration (SH%), skin electrical conductivity and live body weight (LBW) changes of the dromedary camels during both seasons.
The study was carried out at Maryout Research Station, 35km Southwest Alexandria, which belongs to Desert Research Center (DRC), Egypt. Five adult healthy she-camels (Camelus dromedarius), 6-8 years old, with initial body weight of 522.0±3.52 and 613.0±6.63 kg for summer and winter seasons, respectively, were used. The animals were kept in unshaded outdoor pen.
Surface skin temperature (SST), skin thickness (ST) and skin hydration (SH%) were measured at seven regions including Neck (NE), Shoulder (SH), Hump (HU), Hip (HI), Fore-limb(FL), Hind-limb (HL) and Abdomen (AB) on both right and left sides of the animal’s body. Measurements were taken three times daily (06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 hr) during the middle ten days of each month in both summer (from June till August) and winter (from December till February) seasons. The daily diurnal ambient temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation were also measured at 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 hr.
The results indicated that SSTdiffered significantly (P<0.01) between hump (the site more exposed to sun) and abdomen (less exposed to sun). The differences between the two values were 5.13 and 6.44ºC during summer and winter seasons, respectively.
The differences between SST at the selected sites were the highest (P<0.01) under cold climatic conditions (winter) than warm climatic conditions (summer). As expected, measured SST at mid-day (12:00 hr) was consistently higher than measured SST at morning (06:00 hr) and evening (18:00 hr), but was significantly higher during summer than winter. As for skin thickness, theNE, SH, HU and HI sites were significantly (P<0.01) thicker and higher of its water content than the other sites during both summer and winter seasons. Values of ST and SH% were higher during winter compared with summer values. This rise may be attributed to the increase in fat stored in subcutaneous layers and to the increase in body fluids. The values of the electrical conductivity of the skin were higher in winter months than in summer months. The neck region had the highest values while the fore limb had the lowest values in both summer and winter. There was a positive correlation between the electrical conductivities of the different skin regions and the water content of the same region in summer and winter.
https://jappmu.journals.ekb.eg/article_83408_07fc3fb694df96d471d04d7945facd33.pdf
One-humped camel
skin temperature
skin thickness
skin hydration
seasonality