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conferenceseries.com
October 24-25, 2016 | Valencia, Spain
International Conference on
Environmental Health & Safety
Volume 4, Issue 5 (Suppl) Occup Med Health
ISSN:2329-6879 OMHA, an open access journal Environmental Health 2016
October 24-25, 2016
EFFECT OFTHE METEOROLOGICALCONDITIONS ON DAIRY SHEEP PERFORMANCE
Maria Sitziaa, Marco Acciaroa, Mauro Decandiaa, Gianpaolo Epifania, Gianmarco Marrosu a, Ilaria Peanab and Carla Mancaa
aAGRIS Sardegna, Italy
bARPAS Sardegna, Italy
Thermal stress negatively affects profitability of sheep production due to the decrease in animal health and to the reduction in
weight gain and milk production. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in animal performance and adaptability
in response to annual weather fluctuation. A 16 autochthonous Sardinian dairy sheep were raised in a Stall feeding system (St) and
their performance was compared with 16 animals raised outdoor in a Paddock feeding system (Pd), without any shelter or shading
effect. Both groups were fed with the same amount of forage and concentrate. The trial was carried out in N-W Sardinia, between July
2011 and May 2013. In both years, for each season, a 4 week measurement period was assessed. Outdoor and indoor meteorological
factors were monitored continuously and analyzed weekly on hourly base; bio meteorological indices were calculated. Feed on offer
and that refused, water consumption were measured daily in all groups. Body condition score, body weight, milk yield and milk
composition and cortisol blood level were measured weekly. Treatments were characterized by different climate conditions. St, with
more comfortable environmental conditions, showed higher milk yield and lower milk fat content than Pd only in winter, as well as
body weight in winter and spring. Any difference was detected for the cortisol blood content. In comparison with the first, the second
year, characterized by a more favorable weather, allowed better animal performances and an increment of cortisol level. Strategies
aimed at reducing thermal stress of animal during winter would lead to improvement feed conversion efficiency for milk production.
Biography
Maria Sitzia is a researcher in animal husbandry at Research Agency in Agriculture of Sardinia (AGRIS). She has carried out research on eco-physiology of
forage species, on method of estimating biomass, the evolution of the vegetal structure of grazed sward, the techniques involved in managing different types of
pasture. She has more than 20 years of research experience in small ruminant farming system, forage production, livestock management, animal production and
sustainability of grazing systems. She is working on low-input farming systems for dairy and meat productions and is co-author of 25 scientific articles in peer-
reviewed journals and 84 posters and/or oral communications.
Maria Sitzia et al., Occup Med Health Aff 2016, 4:5 (Suppl)