Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology
http://www.jabbnet.periodikos.com.br/article/5f916c710e8825af691ddb37
Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology
Research Article Open Access

Effect of the environment and age on the physiological responses and the blood constituents of Anglo-Nubian goats

Bonifácio Benicio de Sousa, João Vinícios Barbosa Roberto, Alessandra de Sousa Alves, Elisângela Maria Nunes da Silva, Gustavo de Assis Silva, Bennio Alexandre de Assis Marques, Nayanne Lopes Batista

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the environment on physiological responses and the influence of age on hematological parameters of Anglo-Nubians goats in the semiarid northeast. Were used 22 young goats with 30 to 70 days old, distributed in a completely randomized design, in morning and afternoon shifts, with 22 repetitions. There was no effect of shifts for the variables rectal temperature and respiratory frequency. There was means of rectal temperatures of 39.21 and 39.37 °C for the morning and afternoon shifts, respectively. For RF, observed means of 39.23 and 42.68 mov./Min for morning and afternoon, respectively. For ST, there was an average of 31.27 °C for the morning shift and an average of 33.31 °C for the afternoon, having the analysis of variance revealed effect of shift for all the different body parts of the animals and registered the highest average in the afternoon. For the parameters erythrocyte count, corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, was significant effect of age. Already for mean hemoglobin and leukocytes, there was no significant difference between the ages studied. The physiological responses of the animals were maintained within the normal pattern, indicating that the thermoregulatory apparatus from the goats was effective in maintaining the homeothermy. The ST was influenced by ambient temperatures, rising in the afternoon shift. The age affects the majority of the blood constituents of young goats. Hematological data obtained can serve as a reference for young goats created in tropical environmental conditions.

Keywords

goats, age group, physiology, hematology

Submitted date:
06/17/2014

Reviewed date:
10/16/2014

Accepted date:
10/18/2014

5f916c710e8825af691ddb37 jabbnet Articles
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J. Anim. Behav. Biometeorol.

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