Comportamento de ovinos da raça Santa Inês de diferentes cores pelame, em pastejo

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the summer in the Agreste region of Pernambuco state in order to evaluate the behavior under conditions of grazing sheep Santa Ines of different colors of coat. The experiment lasted from January 12 to 01 March 2008, with two and six weeks to adapt to data collection. The observations were made every 10 minutes during the period of 6 A.M. to 5 P.M. for two consecutive days each week. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three coat colors (white, brown and black) as treatments and 7 replications in a split plot arrangement with the coat color in the plot and period in the sub-plot. The variables analyzed were grazing time (PT), rumination time (RT), leisure time (TO), other activities (OA) and drinking water. No significant interaction (P> 0.05) between period and color of the coat for any of the behavioral traits studied. The periods affected all behavioral activities. The hair coat color influenced only the activity mulling standing at the Sun, the white animals had longer (P <0.05) (19.64 minutes) 51 than the brown and black (11.43 and 14.28 minutes), respectively did not differ among themselves and also in other activities in total (Sun and shade), the animals had longer brown (P <0.05) (8.69 minutes) than whites and blacks (5.00 and 6.19 minutes), respectively, which did not differ. The climatic element most associated with the visit to the water source and the animals stay in the shade was the maximum temperature. The period 4, in general, was the worst for sheep in relation to thermal comfort.