Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, U.P. Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go-Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura-281 001, Uttar Pradesh
A study was conducted to investigate the pattern of variations in physiological characters during increasing temperature humidity index (THI) in goats of semi-arid India. The study was udertaken during last week of February to first week of June 2019. THI during morning and afternoon ranged from 48 to 87 and 64 to 96, respectively. Sixty females from each breed of Jamunapari and Barbari goats were selected for the study. Jamunapari goats showed higher (P<0.01) respiratory rate (RR), pulse rate (PT) and rectal temperature (RT) during afternoon hours as compared to morning throughout the study. Interestingly, Barbari goats showed a typical adaptive behaviour, showing higher PR beyond a THI of 87.40 and higher RT beyond a THI of 82.60 even in the morning hours as compared to the afternoon. The quantum of change during the day in RR and PR was higher (P<0.01) in Jamunapari as compared to Barbari at lower THI while Barbari showed change in RR and PR at higher THI. The results indicated that Barabri goats have a typical physiological adaptive mechanism at higher THI and better tolerance to heat stress than Jamunapari goats in semi-arid India.
Adaptability, Goats, Heat stress, Semi-arid, Temperature humidity index
