Using a Sprinkler Fan System for Cooling Heat-stressed Goats under Desert Conditions.

Abstract

Goats' health, productivity, and behavior are drastically altered during heat stress. Heat dissipation methods become inadequate when environmental temperatures exceed an animal's internal body temperature. Recently there has been increasingly interested in strategies to reduce thermal stress on livestock. Sprinklers may help reduce accumulated heat and improve goat heat dissipation. Ten indigenous adult dry does were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, the non-cooling group as a control and the treatment group with two sprinkler and fans cooling systems. Feed and water consumption, breathing rate, rectal, external, and ambient temperatures, and relative humidity were recorded daily. For two weeks of the investigation, body weight was recorded once a week. The results showed that the control group consumed more water, and the ratio of water drunk/ dry matter intake tended to be higher than the treatment counterparts. Neither group showed significant differences in dry matter intake. Respiratory rates were greater in the control group compared to the treatment counterpart. Despite the marked difference between climatic conditions of both groups' rooms, no significant difference in rectal body temperatures was found. The temperatures of the eyes and legs were not significantly different in either group. In contrast, the calculated correlation between the rectal temperature with the highest value was found for the negative relation with rump and neck temperature. In conclusion, spraying goats and continual air movement under dry weather alleviate heat stress and improves goat welfare.