RESPONSE OF OSSIMI SHEEP TO DEHYd.Eitilbf.[I~MliNl~~ STARVATION FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS UNDER SUMMER, "CONDITIONS OF EGYPT

Authors

1 Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University.

2 Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt.

Abstract

Seven Ossimi rams were used in this study to evaluate their responses to
dehydration orland starvation for one, two or three days, and their reactions to
refeeding after each deprivation period (4 days) during summer season. Gi1'ang~s in:,f
live body weight, water and feed intake and body temperatures were deterifiine~hj
during all deprivation and refeeding periods. Results indicated that dehydration of
animals for one (WD1), two (WD2) and three (WD3) days orland starvation for one
(WFD1), two (WFD2) and three (WFD3) days significantly (P<0.05) reduced the body
weight by about 8, 11,20, 11, 16 and 18%, respectively. Most weight loss significantly
(P<0.05) occurred on the 1 SI day of each deprivation period, being almost significantly_
(P<0.05) higher during dehydration and starvation than during dehydration only:"
Increasing deprivation periods markedly decreased feed intake during the 2nd day of
WD2 (59%) and WD3 (67%), while the animals stopped their feed intake during the 3rd
day of WD3. During the 151 day of refeeding periods, most of the animals (7 r -100%)
firstly drank more amount of water in one drinking during the first.mmates of refeeding,
being the highest after WD3 (9.7 liters) showing the highest drinking time (2.3
minutes) and the lowest amount of water per unit time (4.3Iiters/min). The opposite
was observed in animals after WFD1 (3.2 liters, 0.57 min and 5.6 liters/min,
respectively). Dehydrated animals regained their weight loss during the 15t day of
refeeding (106~109% of the original weight), while, those exposed to water and feed
deprivation failed to restore their weight loss during the 1 st day of refeeding (82-85%
of the original wei~ht), but they regained their weight loss on the 3rd day for WFD1
(103%) and the 4 day for WFD2 (104%) and WFD3 (100%). Dehydration orland
starvation for different periods resulted in significant increase in rectal temperature
(RT) and skin temperature (ST) of all animals. During WD1 and WD2, animals showed
significantly the highest increase in RT (2.5 and 2.2%, respectively) and the lowest
increase in ST (1.5 and 1.6%, respectively), as compared to the other deprivation
periods, which did not differ significantly.
The present study may indicate that the native Ossimi sheep show
adaptability to hot environmental conditions and have the ability to withstand water
orland feed shortage. This lead to a possibility of raising Ossimi sheep in the newly-
reclaimed areas in Egypt.

Keywords