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The Effect of Variations in Ambient Temperature and Humidity on Rectal and Testis Temperatures of Sheared and Unsheared Rams¹

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Abstract

The effect of three levels of ambient temperature (70, 82, 95°) and high (78–88%) and low (57–69%) humidity on rectal and intratesticular temperature was studied in five sheared and five unsheared rams of mixed breeding.

Highly significant differences in rectal temperatures were shown for the different levels of ambient temperature (70, 102.36; 82, 102.91; 95, 104.50°) and humidity (103.48 high vs. 103.03° low) with some indication of an interaction between them (P0.08). Rectal temperatures for sheared and unsheared rams were 102.89 and 103.62° (P0.08).

Testis temperatures of 95.46, 95.36, and 98.76° due to 70, 82 and 95° ambient temperature; 96.04 and 97.02° due to low and high humidity; and 95.65 and 97.40° for sheared and unsheared rams showed differences which were highly significant. Interactions were indicated between shearing and ambient temperature (P<0.01), shearing and humidity (P0.08), ambient temperature and humidity (P<0.01), and between all three variables (P0.08).

An increase from 70–95° ambient temperature caused a greater change in testis than rectal temperatures (3.31 vs. 2.14°, P<0.01). Interactions of the sites of these internal temperatures (testis and rectal) with humidity and shearing showed similar results when taken independently (P<0.05, and P0.09, respectively). The site of internal temperature also interacted significantly with these two factors when taken jointly (P<0.05).

¹ Paper from the Department of Genetics No. 631, Department of Animal Husbandry and Department of Veterinary Science No. NS214, published with the approval of the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School from funds supplied by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.