Parâmetros fisiológicos de cordeiros Corriedale nascidos sobre campo natural

Abstract

Considering that monitoring the health status of lambs requires values with which the variables can be compared, the objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological parameters of Corriedale lambs from birth to 60 days of age, in order to obtain information useful for neonatal care. The experiment was carried out at the Centro Agropecuário da Palma, Federal University of Pelotas, in the municipality of Capão do Leão (RS). The physiological variables heart rate, respiratory rate, capillary filling time, rectal temperature and weight of 22 crossbred lambs, predominantly Corriedale breed, were evaluated. The results were analyzed using multivariate statistical procedures, ordering by principal components, from a variance-covariance matrix, and multivariate analysis of variance through a randomization test with 1000 iterations. Over the 60 experimental days, which included eight evaluations, it was possible to consistently verify the passage of the lambs through three different physiological periods, and the entry into a fourth, which could be further divided. The first three days of life showed distinct physiological characteristics consistent with what is described in the literature. Physiological parameters tend to stabilize after the 30th day of life. The observed physiological values are in line with what is described in the literature on sheep.