Control of sweating in Ayrshire cattle and water buffalo

Abstract

Three Ayrshire Cattle and 3 water buffaloes were exposed to temperatures of between 25.0 and 28.5°C in hot rooms. An area on one side of the back of each animal was heated by radiation from an electric bulb. Sweat rates and skin temperatures were measured on both the heated and unheated sides of the animals. Rectal temperatures and respiratory rates were also measured.

Skin temperatures, rectal temperatures and respiratory rates were higher for the Ayrshires than for the buffaloes. The maximum sweating rates were 60 mg m⁻²s⁻¹ and 45 mg m⁻²s⁻¹ for Ayrshire cattle and the buffaloes respectively. High sweat rates were associated with high skin temperatures and all the animals sweated more (on the average) on the heated than the unheated areas. In response to radiant heating the difference in skin temperature between the heated and unheated sides of the Ayrshires was considerably less than for the buffaloes. This difference may result partly from a better local control of sweat rate in the Ayrshire than the buffalo.

The relationships between sweat rate and rectal temperature and between sweat rate and respiratory rate were less predictable than that between sweat rate and skin temperature but they did suggest that high sweat rates are associated with both high rectal temperatures and rapid respiratory rates. However, the respiratory rates of the buffaloes remained very low throughout the experiment.