Efeito das estações do ano e da idade sobre as variáveis termofisiológicas e hematológicas de bezerros leiteiros mestiços em ambiente tropical
Nascimento, Fernanda Gatti de OliveiraBizare, AmandaGuimarães, Ednaldo CarvalhoMundim, Antonio VicenteNascimento, Mara Regina Bueno de Mattos
Background: The wellbeing and performance of calves may be impaired if raised in high temperature environments. Physiological and hematological variables serve as a tool to assess the welfare of cattle; therefore, the influence of seasons and age on physiological and hematological variables was evaluated of crossbred dairy calves in a tropical environment.Materials, Methods & Results: Forty-two male and female calves were evaluated from July 2016 to July 2017, when the calves were of 2, 15, 30, and 60 days of age. Respiratory (RR) and heart rates (HR) and rectal (RT) and body surface (BST) temperatures were quantified in the morning. Additionally, in the morning, dry bulb (Tdb) and wet bulb (Twb) temperatures were measured, and then, relative humidity (RH) and a temperature-humidity index (THI) were calculated. Blood was collected to perform hemogram. The day before the calves were evaluated, thermal environment data were collected to verify whether there were cyclic periods of heat stress. The mean air temperature ranged from 19°C to 22.1°C, and the highest THI value of 68 occurred in the summer mornings. In the afternoon, the maximum air temperature ranged from 27.5°C to 29.7°C. In autumn, respiratory and heart rates and body surface temperature were higher in 2-day-old calves than in other ages. The body surface temperature of 60-day-old calves was higher in spring and summer than in autumn. Rectal temperature remained in the normal range throughout the study period. Season did not influence the erythrogram and plaquetogram. The values for red blood cells, MCV, MCHC, RDW, platelets, and MPV varied among the calf ages. Season did not influence the values of leukocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes, or N/L ratio; however, band neutrophils and eosinophils varied among seasons. Band neutrophils and monocytes were not altered by age, whereas leukocyte, segmented neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and N/L ratio values varied with age among the calves.[...](AU)
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