Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T02:46:17.242Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Rectal temperature and respiratory rate as indicators of heat tolerance in cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

W. Bianca
Affiliation:
From The Hannah Dairy Research Institute, Ayr, Scotland

Extract

1. Rectal temperatures and respiratory rates have been determined in four calves during 5 hr. exposures to ten different hot environments in a climatic room.

2. Among the various parameters based on rectal temperature response, final rectal temperature proved the best for differentiating between the heat tolerance of individual animals. Under conditions of severe heat, where rectal temperature rose almost linearly with time of exposure, tolerance time proved equally suitable.

3. Since initial rectal temperature tended to parallel final rectal temperature, the increase in rectal temperature during exposure did not vary significantly between the animals. Increase in rectal temperature was therefore considered a less suitable measure of heat tolerance.

4. Both the lowest and the highest panting rate were associated with a low heat tolerance. From this, as well as from other observations and considerations, it was concluded that respiratory rate, either alone or in combination with rectal temperature, was an inadequate measure of heat tolerance.

5. A state of high heat tolerance tended to be associated with only a small loss of body weight during exposure to heat, but showed no relation to body weight itself.

6. The order of heat tolerance of the four animals was essentially the same in each of the ten hot environments investigated. It was inferred that within the range of temperatures employed in this study the degree of severity of the heat stress was not an important factor in the discrimination of heat tolerance.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1963

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Beakley, W. R. & Findlay, J. D. (1955). J. Agric. Sci. 45, 339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benezra, M. V. (1954). Proc. J. Anim. Sci. 13, 1015.Google Scholar
Bianca, W. (1959 a). J. Agric. Sci. 52, 296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bianca, W. (1959 b). J. Agric. Sci. 52, 305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bianca, W. (1959 c). J. Agric. Sci. 52, 380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bianca, W. (1961). J. Biomeleor. 5, 5.Google Scholar
Bianca, W. (1962). Nature, Lond., 195, 1208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bligh, J. (1957). J. Physiol. 136, 413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Findlay, J. D., McLean, J. A. & Bennet, R. D. (1959). Heat. Vent. Engr. 0910Google Scholar
Hutchinson, H. G. & Mabon, R. M. (1954). J. Agric. Sci. 44, 121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kibler, H. H. (1957). Res. Bull. Mo. Agric. Exp. Sta. no. 643.Google Scholar
Ladell, W. S. S. (1951). J. Physiol. 115, 296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLean, J. A. (1961). Studies in thermal transport and loss in the bovine. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Glasgow.Google Scholar
Nisbet, W. (1956). J. Sci. Instrum. 33, 154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhoad, A. O. (1944). Trop. Agric., Trin., 21, 162.Google Scholar
Schmidt-Nielsen, K., Schmidt-Nielsen, B., Jarnum, S. A. & Houpt, T. R. (1957). Amer. J. Physiol. 188, 103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar