Water Stress in Small Ruminants

Jaber, Lina; Chedid, Mabelle; Hamadeh, S.K.

doi:10.5772/53584

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 141 publications

(272 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The increase of creatinine concentrations has also been reported for water‐restricted animals (Alamer, ), and according to Jaber et al. (), this is partly the result of a higher kidney retention due to decreased glomerular filtration rate.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

“…Water deprivation raised blood biochemical constituents indicating an increased haemoconcentration. Although changes in glucose in water‐restricted sheep are very contradicting (Jaber et al., ), the increase in this study may indicate that water‐stressed animals still have an absolute need for glucose, necessitating a good homoeostatic control of this compound (McDowell, ). The increase of blood proteins in WD rams could result from an increase in blood albumin and globulin (Alamer, ; Hamadeh et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…The effects of water deprivation or water restriction in small ruminants have been recently largely reviewed by Jaber et al. (). It appears that under conditions of aridity and water scarcity, indigenous small ruminants are able to put up with water restriction through their behavioural adaptations in combination with both morphological and physiological adaptations (Cain et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Recurrent 3‐day cycles of water deprivation for over a month depress mating behaviour but not semen characteristics of adult rams

Khnissi

Lassoued

Rekik³

et al. 2015

Animal Physiology Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aimed to investigate the effect of water deprivation (WD) on reproductive traits of rams. Ten mature rams were used and allocated to two groups balanced for body weight. Control (C) rams had free access to drinking water, while water-restricted rams (WD) were deprived from water for 3 consecutive days and early on the morning of day 4, they had ad libitum access to water for 24 h, similar to C animals. The experiment lasted 32 days, that is eight 4-day cycles of water deprivation and subsequent watering. Feed and water intake were significantly affected by water deprivation; in comparison with C rams, WD rams reduced their feed intake by 18%. During the watering day of the deprivation cycle, WD rams consumed more water than C rams on the same day (11.8 (SD = 3.37) and 8.4 (SD = 1.92) l respectively; p < 0.05). Glucose, total protein and creatinine were increased as a result of water deprivation. However, testosterone levels were lowered as a result of water deprivation and average values were 10.9 and 6.2 (SEM 1.23) ng/ml for C and WD rams respectively (p < 0.05). Semen traits were less affected by treatment; WD rams consistently had superior sperm concentrations than C animals; and statistical significances were reached in cycles 5 and 8 of water deprivation. Several mating behaviour traits were modified as a result of water deprivation. When compared to controls, WD rams had a more prolonged time to first mount attempt (p < 0.001), their frequency of mount attempts decreased [6.8 vs. 5.2 (SEM 0.1); p < 0.001] and their flehmen reaction intensity was negatively affected (p < 0.05). Water deprivation may have practical implications reducing the libido and therefore the serving capacity of rams under field conditions.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Recurrent 3‐day cycles of water deprivation for over a month depress mating behaviour but not semen characteristics of adult rams

Khnissi

Lassoued

Rekik³

et al. 2015

Animal Physiology Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Specifically, the size of the home range is associated with NPDO severity in browsers but not grazers and mixed feeders. The effect of home‐range size in browsers might relate to the amount of food resources available during extreme natural events and the level of foraging competition (Haynes, ; Mogotsi et al ., ; Jaber, Chedid & Hamadeh, ). Grasses are more abundant and widespread than browse vegetation with the former being the first to fade away during environmental stress (Owen, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying species' characteristics associated with natural population die-offs in mammals

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Extreme natural events such as cold waves, droughts, floods or hurricanes can drastically impact wildlife populations and are expected to become more frequent and more intense in the coming decades. When populations experience abnormally high declines within a short time interval due to such phenomena, the losses can be referred to as natural population die-offs (NPDOs). Although such events have been observed and population declines have been recorded, there is currently little known about which species might be most affected. Using a database of 72 NPDOs from 31 terrestrial herbivorous mammals, we modelled the effects of four biological traits (adult body mass, foraging strategy, homerange area and territoriality) on the degree of population loss (severity) caused by extreme natural events. We found that the susceptibility to large NPDOs decreases with increased home-range size for a given body mass. Foraging strategy was also found to be significantly associated with NPDO severity, with grazers and mixed feeders experiencing larger declines than browsers. Our analyses moreover suggested that wide-ranging browsers might be less susceptible to large NPDOs than browsers with small home ranges. Identifying the traits shaping high biological sensitivity and/or limited adaptive capacity to extreme natural events can help us to identify those populations most likely to become increasingly vulnerable to NPDOs, allowing tailored interventions to be implemented to avoid local extinctions. This will be of the utmost importance for those populations already experiencing high levels of anthropogenic impact and distributed in regions where exposure to extreme natural events is expected to increase in the coming decades. bs_bs_banner Animal Conservation. Print

show abstract

“…No effects were detected on fat and protein content as well as on SCC, whereas lactose content markedly increased in W60 and W80 groups. This could be attributed to the water restriction regime that increased the concentration of blood components and induced an increase in the synthesis of lactose in the mammary gland, in order to keep the isotonicity between milk and plasma (Jaber, Chedid, & Hamadeh, 2013).…”

Section: Quantity Quality and Rheological Characteristics Of Milkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of water restriction on milk yield and quality in Lacaune breed ewes

Casamassima

Palazzo

Nardoia

et al. 2017

Animal Physiology Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of water restriction on body weight, body condition score, milk yield, and milk composition and rheological characteristics in intensively reared Lacaune ewes was evaluated. After 7 days of adaptation, the trial lasted 28 days. Thirty lactating ewes (48 ± 5 months of age; mean value ± standard deviation) at the beginning of third lactation month were divided into three groups (n = 10), corresponding to the following water restriction treatment: a group control received no drinking water restriction (W100), and two groups received water to the extent of 80% and 60% of W100 daily consumption (W80 and W60 group respectively). The effects of water restriction were assessed at the beginning of experiment (D0), at D14 and D28. The W60 group resulted in a significant decrease in body weight, body condition score, milk yield and feed consumption of hay due to the experimental treatment; whereas a marked increase in both W60 and W80 groups of milk lactose, urea, sodium, sodium chloride content and titratable acidity was observed. Rheological parameters of milk, rennet coagulation time and curd-firming time were positively affected by water restriction treatments, with a decrease in both experimental groups of the time required for the formation of a stable and firm curd. Results highlight the importance of water consumption in dairy sheep. The scarce availability of water, significantly affecting ewes milk production, is worthy of particular attention in arid area where water stress-resistant breeds should be considered. This study underlines that milk yield, being closely linked to the availability of water of the breeding habitat due to its high water content (about 81%), could be reached in area where water is not a limiting factor without reducing the genetic expression of the animals. Less severe water restrictions, such as 20% of daily voluntary water intake, produce no detrimental effect on milk yield.

show abstract

Water Stress in Small Ruminants

Cited by 21 publications

References 141 publications

Recurrent 3‐day cycles of water deprivation for over a month depress mating behaviour but not semen characteristics of adult rams

Recurrent 3‐day cycles of water deprivation for over a month depress mating behaviour but not semen characteristics of adult rams

Identifying species' characteristics associated with natural population die-offs in mammals

Effect of water restriction on milk yield and quality in Lacaune breed ewes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About