Cold exposure of Southdown and Welsh Mountain sheep. 1. Effects of breed, plane of nutrition and acclimatization to cold upon resistance to body cooling

Summary

1. Twenty-four Southdown and 24 Welsh Mountain year-old female sheep, half on high plane and half on low plane nutrition, were closely shorn and given two short acute cold exposures (−20°C, 4 mph wind) in climate chambers. For two weeks before the first acute exposure half the sheep were kept at a moderately cold temperature (+8°C) and the remainder at a thermoneutral temperature (+30°C). During the next two weeks between acute exposures these temperatures were reversed for each group of sheep.

2. Resistance to body cooling during acute cold exposure was significantly greater after exposure to + 8°C. This was attributed to acclimatization. No further acclimatization resulted from acute cold exposure in addition to chronic moderate cold exposure.

3. Sheep which had been kept at +8°C cooled 33% more slowly than those which had been at + 30°C. High plane sheep cooled 34 % more slowly than low plane sheep. Southdowns cooled 32 % more slowly than Welsh sheep, but the Welsh sheep showed relatively greater acclimatization on low plane nutrition.

4. Compared with Scottish Blackface sheep given similar temperature treatment in an earlier experiment, the Southdowns and Welsh showed less initial cold resistance and less capacity for acclimatization.