Abstract
In Guadeloupe (French West Indies), eight Limousin × Creole (local) growing bulls and eight Creole bulls were either exposed to full sunshine or shaded; each climatic treatment involved half of the animals of each breed. All the bulls were fed ad libitum on a concentrate diet. Twice a week, around 12 a.m., respiratory rhythm, rectal temperature, heart rate as well as microclimatic parameters (mainly black globe temperature) were measured and a blood sample taken for packed cell volume, prolactin, and triiodothyronin (T3) plasma concentration determination. Respiratory rhythm and, to a lesser extent, rectal temperature were found to increase more for the Limousin × Creole crossbred than for the Creole bull on exposure to the sun and rise in globe temperature. However, the heart rate and blood parameters in the crossbred did not seem seriously affected by heat. This seems to indicate that the crossbred animals, though they required more positive thermal regulation than the local cattle, are not heat-stressed in the West Indian conditions. These findings are also supported by the lack of effect of exposure to the sun on the growth and carcass characteristics of such animals (reported elsewhere).
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Berbigier, P., Sergent, D., Sophie, S.A. et al. Effect of humid tropical climate on the thermoregulatory response of Limousin × Creole and Creole growing bulls in Guadeloupe (French West Indies). Int J Biometeorol 31, 65–76 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192840
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192840