Relationship between physical attributes and heat stress in dairy cattle from different genetic groups

Dairy cattle raised under harsh conditions have to adapt and prevent heat stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics and their association with heat tolerance in different genetic groups of dairy cattle. Thickness of the skin and coat, length and number of hairs, body mea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of biometeorology 2016-02, Vol.60 (2), p.245-253
Main Authors: Alfonzo, Evelyn Priscila München, Barbosa da Silva, Marcos Vinicius Gualberto, dos Santos Daltro, Darlene, Stumpf, Marcelo Tempel, Dalcin, Vanessa Calderaro, Kolling, Giovani, Fischer, Vivian, McManus, Concepta Margaret
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Physiology
Animal populations
Animals
bioclimatology
Biological and Medical Physics
Biometeorology
Biophysics
body measurements
Body Size
Body Temperature
Cattle
Cattle - anatomy & histology
Cattle - genetics
Cattle - physiology
Cattle Diseases - genetics
Cattle Diseases - physiopathology
cows
dairy cattle
Dairying
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environmental Health
Female
Genetic Variation
Hair - anatomy & histology
hairs
Heart Rate
Heat
heat stress
Heat Stress Disorders - genetics
Heat Stress Disorders - physiopathology
Heat Stress Disorders - veterinary
heat tolerance
Holstein
Meteorology
morphometry
Original Paper
Plant Physiology
Respiratory Rate
Skin - anatomy & histology
Temperature
Thermography
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Summary:Dairy cattle raised under harsh conditions have to adapt and prevent heat stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics and their association with heat tolerance in different genetic groups of dairy cattle. Thickness of the skin and coat, length and number of hairs, body measurements, as well as physiological parameters and body temperatures by infrared thermography were determined in 19 Holstein and 19 Girolando (½ and ¾ Holstein) cows. The Holstein cattle were less tolerant to heat stress than Girolando (GH50 and GH75 Holstein), because of the difficulty in dissipating heat due to the larger body size, as well as thicker and longer hairs. The correlations between physical characteristics, physiological parameters, and thermographic measurements prove to be inconsistent among genetic groups and therefore are not predictive of heat tolerance, while the regressions of morphometric characteristics on physiological and thermographic measures were not significant. Thus, the physical characteristics were not good predictors of physiological indices and thermographic temperature and so should not be used.
ISSN:0020-7128
1432-1254
DOI:10.1007/s00484-015-1021-y