Influence of housing conditions for sheep performance during hot summer under north of upper Egypt

Abstract EN

This study was carried to evaluate the impact of housing conditions on lamb performance in newly reclimated land under hot summer climate in north Upper Egypt (Fayoum province area).

In this respect, the small ruminant breeders keep their animals in two different housing conditions, free in yard under shade (YS) or in yard without shade (YN).

For this reason, a total number of 10 growing Ossimi lambs and 10 growing Saidi lambs were used in this study during summer months (June to September).

Animals of each breed were divided into two separate housing conditions.

Physiological responses in terms of rectal temperature (RT°C), respiration rate (RR) and water consumption (L / h / day) and blood samples in addition to the ambient temperature (AT °C) were determined simultaneously at the last day of each 3 week interval through the experiment months at three times, 7 : 00 a.

m ; 1 : 00 p.

m and 6 : 00 p.

m.

Blood samples were collected to obtain blood serum.

The serum was used to assess blood proteins.

In –vivo chemical body composition was assessed in final experiment.

The rectal temperature (RT, °C) of Ossimi lambs (39.2 °C) was higher (P ≤ 0.05) than Saidi lambs (38.8 °C).

Moreover, the RT under YN system (39.1°C) was significantly high (P?0.05) compared with YS system (38.9°C).

Significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) in respiration rate (RR) was observed between the two breeds.

The environmental conditions of YN housing significantly increased (P ≤ 0.01) RR in both breeds.

The averages were 60.6 and 63.5 RR in YN and YS conditions, respectively.

There was significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences between the two breeds in water consumption.

Saidi sheep consumed more water (1.85 L / h / day) in mid day than that of Ossimi sheep (1.66 L) under the two systems.

Serum of Ossimi lambs contained more total protein in the 1st and 2nd time of measurements (7.49 and 7.55 g / dl) than Saidi lambs (7.27 and 7.16 g / dl) respectively.

While the corresponding values in Ossimi were lower in the 3rd time (7.30 g / dl) than Saidi lambs (7.48 g / dl).

Data revealed that, water, fat and ash percentages of body lambs were higher under YS housing condition than those raised under YN conditions.

Lambs, raised under YS condition had the highest values of final body weight, total gain, daily gain and superlative values of feed efficiency and feed conversion.

Carcass traits were more better significantly (P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01) in Saidi lambs than that in Ossimi lambs except the weight of edible organs and dressing percentage.

It could be concluded that raising Saidi and Ossimi lambs in yards with wooden shade improve the net revenue and relative economic efficiency compared with those raised under unshade condition systems, while Saidi lambs were more better than Ossimi lambs under YS housing conditions in north Upper Egypt.