Thermoregulation in neonatal ruminants

Abstract

AbstractThis review is directed to thermoregulation in ruminants relative to weather and husbandry conditions of the United Kingdom in which the principal ruminant species are cattle and sheep. The main thermoregulatory demands for neonates, but not necessarily for older animals, are posed by cold rather than heat. Thermoregulation is critical to the survival of neonatal ruminants. On many farms, neonatal deaths are, for example, 20% of lambs born. Neonatal ruminants are precocial compared with many altrical neonatal mammals and have well developed thermoregulation which allows them to maintain homeothermy in many environments. However, at birth the neonatal ruminant moves from a very stable thermal environment, of similar temperature to its core body temperature, to a variable thermal environment which is 10 to 50°C colder than its core temperature. At birth the coat is wet and energy losses can be very high. To maintain homeothermy, heat production can usually be increased 3- to 5-fold above resting heat production. However, there are only limited quantities of tissue substrates available for this and the early intake of sufficient colostrum by the newborn is essential to continued heat production and survival. Nutrition in early and late pregnancy also affects the viability of, at least, young lambs: placental insufficiency may cause chronic prenatal hypoglycaemia and hypoxaemia which, postnatally, inhibits spontaneous respiration and restricts heat production. In calves, dystocia may cause acidosis and decreased heat production.The principal thermoregulatory mechanisms and some factors which affect their efficiency in newborn calves and lambs are presented, with consideration of the limitations of lower critical temperatures.