EFFECT OF HEAT STRESS AMELIORATION ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF MAGRA SHEEP UNDER ARID CLIMATIC CONDITION
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Date
2020
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ICAR-NDRI, KARNAL
Abstract
Sheep husbandry plays an important role in the economic sustenance and
livelihood security of poor farmers in harsh climatic zones of the country. In
Rajasthan, farmers rear their sheep mainly by extensive management system with
no proper housing and depend on natural grazing as a source of nutrition without
concentrate mixture supplement. In summer, high temperature and humidity,
shortage of feed and water resources, and lack of proper scientific understanding
about sheep rearing resulted to decreased performance of sheep in terms of their
proper growth and production. Keeping these points in mind, the present research
was conducted with two objectives, first was survey study and other was animal
experimentation. In survey study, a preliminary survey was conducted in 3
villages, Kansar, Kotra and Jalawali under Network Project on Sheep
Improvement of ARC-CSWRI, Bikaner. The data were collected from 90 farmers,
30 from each village revel that mostly farmers were involved in agriculture farming
and livestock rearing system with high flock size between 50-100 sheep. And rely
on grazing on community land and common water resources. Practice of
vaccination was quite satisfactory but deworming was poor with empirical
knowledge for treatment of sick animals. The animal experiment was carried out
at ARC-CSWRI, Bikaner, Rajasthan. For this forty ewes along with their new born
lamb are selected during summer season (April-June). And randomly categorized
into 4 groups (T1 (control), T2, T3 and T4) 10 in each group. T1 - traditional
shelter, T2 - improved shelter, T3 - traditional shelter and improved nutrition (@ 2
% of BW) and T4-improved shelter and improved nutrition (@ 2 % of BW) along
with 8 hr. grazing system common in all the 4 groups. The highest (P<0.01) body
weight was recorded in group T4. T2 and T4 group had significantly (<0.01) lower
pulse rate, rectal temperature, respiration rate and sweating rate though within
normal physiological range. Hb and PCV (P<0.01) higher in T2 and T4, RBC and
WBC were (P<0.01) higher in T4 and T1, respectively. Levels of serum glucose
and cholesterol (P<0.01) increased in T2 and T4 and BUN highest in T3. Serum
NEFA level was higher (P<0.01) in T1 and T2. HSP-70 conc. was higher T1 and
T3. Triidothyronine and Thyroxine levels were decreases in T2 and T4. Cortisol
and IL-6 conc. was (P<0.05) higher T1 and T2. Higher (P<0.01) milk yield with
little improvement in composition was recorded in T3 and T4. Serum glucose,
cholesterol level were increased by improved nutrition during summer season.
Triidothyronine, thyroxine cortisol, HSP-70 and IL-6 can be used as biomarkers
for heat stress. At the end, it appears that incorporation of both improved nutrition
and improved shelter is a viable proposition for optimum sheep production.