Thermoregulatory Response of Blackbelly Adult Ewes and Female Lambs during the Summer under Tropical Conditions in Southern Mexico
Maricela Ruiz-Ortega,
Ethel Caterina García y González,
Pedro Enrique Hernández-Ruiz,
Blanca Celia Pineda-Burgos,
Mario Alberto Sandoval-Torres,
José Vicente Velázquez-Morales,
José del Carmen Rodríguez-Castillo,
Elsa Lysbet Rodríguez-Castañeda,
José Manuel Robles-Robles,
José Luis Ponce-Covarrubias
Affiliations
Maricela Ruiz-Ortega
Escuela Superior de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia No. 3, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (UAGro), Tecpan de Galeana 40900, Guerrero, Mexico
Ethel Caterina García y González
Escuela Superior de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia No. 3, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (UAGro), Tecpan de Galeana 40900, Guerrero, Mexico
Pedro Enrique Hernández-Ruiz
Escuela Superior de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia No. 3, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (UAGro), Tecpan de Galeana 40900, Guerrero, Mexico
Blanca Celia Pineda-Burgos
Escuela Superior de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia No. 3, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (UAGro), Tecpan de Galeana 40900, Guerrero, Mexico
Mario Alberto Sandoval-Torres
Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Agropecuario No. 127, Tomatlan 48450, Jalisco, Mexico
José Vicente Velázquez-Morales
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Órgano de Operación Administrativa Desconcentrado, Hospital General de Zona No. 57, Cuautitlan 54769, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
José del Carmen Rodríguez-Castillo
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, El Salado, Tecamachalco 72570, Puebla, Mexico
Elsa Lysbet Rodríguez-Castañeda
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, El Salado, Tecamachalco 72570, Puebla, Mexico
José Manuel Robles-Robles
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, El Salado, Tecamachalco 72570, Puebla, Mexico
José Luis Ponce-Covarrubias
Escuela Superior de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia No. 3, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (UAGro), Tecpan de Galeana 40900, Guerrero, Mexico
High environmental temperatures cause heat stress in ewes, resulting in thermoregulatory problems. In this study, the thermoregulatory responses of Blackbelly adult ewes (G1, n = 14) and female lambs (G2, n = 7), during the summer under tropical conditions, in southern Mexico were analyzed. Different physiological variables and skin temperatures (ST) of the ewes were recorded. Breathing frequency (BF) values were similar between groups at 116.73 ± 33.598 bpm (G1) and 113.661 ± 34.515 bpm (G2) (p > 0.05). In the case of skin elasticity (SE), there were no significant differences between the time of day and the age of the ewes (p > 0.05). Significant differences were observed between groups for BF, rectal temperature (RT), and heart rate (HR) values (p p < 0.001). In general, all Blackbelly adult ewes and female lambs during the summer present severe heat stress conditions as a result of an increase in physiological constants and ST. It is concluded that all ewes thermoregulate body temperature by modifying different physiological variables to counteract the effect of heat stress.
