Evaluation of different methods for the measurement of heat loss by cutaneous evaporation in animals

• Grant number: 16/12278-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2017
• End date: December 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Ecology of Domestic Animals and Ethology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Alex Sandro Campos Maia
• Grantee: Vinícius de França Carvalho Fonsêca
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/12218-4 - Thermal physiological responses of animals: challenges to obtain these measures in field, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Heat loss by evaporation is the primary means for removal of heat energy for most homeothermic animals raised in high temperature environments. In literature, there are several methods to determine the cutaneous evaporation in animals, but these techniques exhibit discrepancy in their results, it is not known its reliability and accuracy. Measurement of water loss by evaporation through weight differential in a certain time interval (gravimetry) can be considered as the most accurate technique in relation to the other, but requires the use of high precision scales and animal restraint, limiting their use in the field. This study aims to test the effectiveness of different methods to quantify the skin evaporation, using the gravimetric as standard, comparing it with the colorimetric, ventilated capsule and vapometer. Ten animals will be used, being five Corriedale sheep and five Anglo Nubian goats breed distributed in a Latin square (5 x 5) experimental design, under conditions of shade and exposed to the direct solar radiation. Simultaneously, cutaneous evaporation will be determined in the four animals by these methodologies. Thus, the default value obtained by gravimetric method will be compared with the values obtained by other three methods in order to verify the reliability of each. For this, the data will be analyzed by the least squares method. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MOURA, GUSTAVO ANDRE BERNADO; COSTA, CINTIA CAROL DE MELO; FONSECA, VINICIUS DE FRANCA CARVALHO; WIJFFELS, GENE; CASTRO, PATRIC ANDRE; NETO, MARCOS CHIQUITELLI; MAIA, ALEX SANDRO CAMPOS. Are crossbred cattle (F1, Bos indicus x Bos taurus) thermally different to the purebred Bos indicus cattle under moderate conditions?. LIVESTOCK SCIENCE, v. 246, APR 2021. (14/11170-7, 11/17388-6, 16/12278-1, 18/19148-1)

CARVALHO FONSECA, VINICIUS DE FRANCA; DA SILVA, ROBERTO GOMES; MOURA, GUSTAVO A. B.; SNELLING, EDWARD P.; FULLER, ANDREA; MITCHELL, DUNCAN; DE MELO COSTA, CINTIA C.; MILAN, HUGO M.; MAIA, ALEX S. C.. Reliability of methods to determine cutaneous evaporative water loss rate in furred and fleeced mammals. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, DEC 2021. (16/12278-1, 18/12218-4)

FONSECA, VINICIUS DE FRANCA CARVALHO; CULHARI, ERIC DE ANDRADE; MOURA, GUSTAVO ANDRE BERNADO; NASCIMENTO, SHEILA TAVARES; MILAN, HUGO MAIA; NETO, MARCOS CHIQUITELLI; MAIA, ALEX SANDRO CAMPOS. Shade of solar panels relieves heat load of sheep. APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE, v. 265, p. 6-pg., 2023-08-01. (18/19148-1, 16/12278-1)