Publication Date
1985
Location
Kyoto Japan
Description
In order to clarify the thermoregulatory behaviour in hot and frosty environment, the skin temperature of the Japanese Black Cattle in the pasture was measured by a handy radiation thermometer. The regression equation of the temperature (X) and the skin temperature (Y) of grazing cattle was Y=0.814X+ 11.57 (regression coefficient; r=0.972), and that of the direct solar radiation (X) and the skin temperature (Y) was Y=18.05X+30.62 (r=0.824). When the skin temperature rose beyond about 40°C on sunny and hot days in summer, the cattle began to shelter in shade, where the skin temperature went down to about 35°C. When the direct solar radiation went up to 0.55 cal/cm2/min, the skin temperature rose beyond 40°C, and the respiration rate increased to 150-170% compared with that at 35°C of the skin temperature. On frosty nights in winter, the radiative cooling in the evening reduced the skin temperature to 10-12°C. Then the cattle began to shelter under shade trees, because the radiative cooling was mitigated under the trees and the soil temperature under the trees became 2-3°C higher than that of the pasture. Under frosty environments other thermoregulatory behaviours were observed. The cattle in the pasture had a tendency to prefer dry spots to wet spots for the protection of heat loss from the body. Because the hoof temperature was very sensitively varied by the soil temperature in a standing position, the knees were bent under the belly and the hoof temperature was maintained at 25-32°C. As the thermoconductivity of hair in summer was higher than in winter, the nature of keeping warm was increased by the winter coat. Once the winter coat got a wetting, the nature of keeping warm was decreased. These results suggested that the skin temperature had close relation to the themoregulatory behaviour for the body care.
Citation
Sakurai, M and Dohi, H, "Thermoregulatory Behaviour and the Skin Temperature of Grazing Cattle" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 9.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1985/ses11/9)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Thermoregulatory Behaviour and the Skin Temperature of Grazing Cattle
Kyoto Japan
In order to clarify the thermoregulatory behaviour in hot and frosty environment, the skin temperature of the Japanese Black Cattle in the pasture was measured by a handy radiation thermometer. The regression equation of the temperature (X) and the skin temperature (Y) of grazing cattle was Y=0.814X+ 11.57 (regression coefficient; r=0.972), and that of the direct solar radiation (X) and the skin temperature (Y) was Y=18.05X+30.62 (r=0.824). When the skin temperature rose beyond about 40°C on sunny and hot days in summer, the cattle began to shelter in shade, where the skin temperature went down to about 35°C. When the direct solar radiation went up to 0.55 cal/cm2/min, the skin temperature rose beyond 40°C, and the respiration rate increased to 150-170% compared with that at 35°C of the skin temperature. On frosty nights in winter, the radiative cooling in the evening reduced the skin temperature to 10-12°C. Then the cattle began to shelter under shade trees, because the radiative cooling was mitigated under the trees and the soil temperature under the trees became 2-3°C higher than that of the pasture. Under frosty environments other thermoregulatory behaviours were observed. The cattle in the pasture had a tendency to prefer dry spots to wet spots for the protection of heat loss from the body. Because the hoof temperature was very sensitively varied by the soil temperature in a standing position, the knees were bent under the belly and the hoof temperature was maintained at 25-32°C. As the thermoconductivity of hair in summer was higher than in winter, the nature of keeping warm was increased by the winter coat. Once the winter coat got a wetting, the nature of keeping warm was decreased. These results suggested that the skin temperature had close relation to the themoregulatory behaviour for the body care.
