Effect of the Cooling Systems and Shearing During the Summer Season on the Performance and Productivity of Farafra Ewes and their Offspring

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cooling systems and shearing on performance, behavior response, and physiological parameters of Farafra ewes and their offspring. Forty-two ewes during late pregnancy and their 34 newborns after birth were divided in the same sheds into six groups. control (unshorn + under normal conditions); T1 (unshorn + fan treatment); T2 (unshorn + desert cooler treatment); T3 (shorn + under normal conditions); T4 (shorn + fan treatment); and T5 (shorn + desert cooler treatment). The desert cooler and fans operated manually from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The meteorological measurements, body weight, and physiological parameters were recorded once every two weeks. The milk production and behavior were recorded on a weekly basis. The results showed that ambient cooling lowers the temperature and temperature humidity index (THI) in the barns compared with the non-cooled barns (P≤0.05). Respiration rate, rectal temperature, wool temperature, skin temperature, and ear temperature were significantly reduced (P≤0.05) in treated with cooling + sheared ewes and lambs than those of the unshorn uncooled. Rumination and lying time increased when shorn ewes and lambs were cooled. While panting and standing time significantly reduced (P≤0.05) relative to the unshorn and uncooled. Milk yield and milk composition in ewes and daily weight gain in lambs improved in all treatment groups in comparison with control. It can be concluded that the provision of the desert cooler with shearing in sheep created a better microenvironment for ewes and their offspring, leading to improve its productivity.