Buffalo Bulletin (June 2015) Vol.34 No.2
Original Article
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UDDER, SKIN AND MILK TEMPERATURE IN
LACTATING MURRAH BUFFALOES DURING THE HOT-HUMID SEASON
Bijay Kumar Chaudhari* and Mahendra Singh
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
Lactating Murrah buffaloes were selected
from the institute herd to investigate the possibility
of the use of milk temperature as a marker of
hot and humid stress during the rainy season.
Experimental buffaloes were provided with mist
and fan facilities while another group of buffaloes
served as control. Udder skin temperature (UST),
skin temperature (ST) and milk temperature (MT)
were measured at weekly intervals. The ambient
maximum temperature significantly influenced milk
temperature (P<0.01), skin temperature and udder
skin temperature in morning and evening intervals.
The changes in milk temperature between animals
and between weeks was non-significant. The
availability of mist and fan cooling tended to reduce
the milk temperature non-significantly in different
weeks of the experiment. UST and ST variation
was significant between week and between groups
(P<0.01). The significant changes in ST, UST and
non-significant decline in MT indicated that mist
and fan cooling was effective in restoring these
variables to normal range in buffaloes.
The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) has been
given the name “the black gold of South Asia”
due to its significant contribution (95%) to milk
production (Javaid et al., 2009). This species is also
known as the world second most important milk
producing animal (McDowell et al., 1995; Bhatti et
al., 2009). India has the largest buffalo population
(98 million), which constitute 57% of the total
buffalo population in the world. Environmental
factors have a direct effect on the neuroendocrine
setup in buffalo and makes them very susceptible to
thermal stress owing to low density of sweat glands
and scant hair coat (Acharya, 1988; Cockrill, 1993;
Pandey and Roy, 1966; Razdan, 1988). Summer
weather causes stress in lactating buffalo resulting
in depression of milk production (Soch et al., 1997;
Dolejs et al., 2000a), reduction of feed intake (Holter
et al., 1996; Holter et al., 1997; Umphrey et al.,
2001) and a deleterious effect on the physiologic
status in cows (West, 2003). The effect of heat stress
on the physiological status of lactating buffaloes
is relatively less studied in comparison with that
in lactating cows. It has been found that the upper
limit of the temperature humidity index (THI) at
which cattle may maintain stable body temperature
is between 72 and 76 (Igono et al., 1992; Ravagnolo
et al., 2000). The body temperature of a buffalo is
lower than that of a cow in spite of the fact that
Keywords: Murrah buffalo, udder skin temperature,
skin temperature, milk temperature, hot and humid
stress
Dairy Cattle Physiology Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India,
*
E-mail: [email protected]
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Buffalo Bulletin (June 2015) Vol.34 No.2
buffaloes were hand milked twice a day in the
morning (6 am) and in the evening (6 pm). Milk
its black skin absorbs more heat due to its having
one-sixth the density of sweat glands of a cow
skin (STID, 1981). Rectal and skin temperature
fluctuates much more in buffaloes than in tropical
cattle under increased ambient temperature (Koga
et al., 2004; Aggarwal and Singh, 2008; Marai
and Habeeb, 2010). Milk temperature has been
reported as a reliable indicator of climatic stress
in exotic cows in shaded spray free stalls during
the summer (Igono et al., 1985; Igono, 1985) and
a positive trend with increasing environmental
temperature has been reported (Igono et al., 1988);
however, information on whether milk temperature
and udder skin temperature are affected by high
ambient temperature in buffaloes is not available.
The present investigation was undertaken to find
out the effect of the hot-humid season on skin,
udder skin and the milk temperature in Murrah
buffaloes.
temperature was recorded during the milking using
a digital thermometer. The analysis of data was
carried out by three-way ANOVA with interactions.
Mean and standard error was calculated and the
values were tested for significance (Snedecor and
Cochran, 1989).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The average maximum temperature
during the experiment period of six weeks varied
from 31.50 to 34.10ºC and the THI score ranged
between 81.60 and 85.56 (Table 1). The average
THI during the experiment was much higher
than the THI score of 72 (Ravagnolo et al., 2000;
Igono et al., 1992). The moderately high ambient
temperature and the high humidity resulted in
a significantly higher THI score of 85.56 in first
week of experiment; THI declined in the second
week and was subsequently maintained till the
end of the experiment. The MT varied significant
(P<0.01) between morning and evening intervals
in both group of buffaloes (Table 1 and Figure 1).
However, MT varied non-significantly between
groups, between weeks and between animals.
However, UST varied significantly between groups
(P<0.01), between intervals (P<0.01) and between
weeks (P<0.01).
The values of UST was significantly lower
(P<0.01) in the morning in both the groups and
varied between 91.60 and 93.88oF in the morning.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twelve lactating Murrah buffaloes having
II or III parity were selected from the livestock herd
of the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal.
The buffaloes were divided into two groups and
had green fodder (maize) available ad lib. while
concentrate mixture was offered based on milk
yield. A mist and fan facility was provided to the
experimental group from 10 am to 8:00 pm control
group buffaloes were maintained without mist or
fan. The temperatures of udder skin (UST), body
skin temperature (ST) was recorded twice a day in
the morning (9 am) and in afternoon (3 pm) during
the hot and humid season (August-September).
The temperatures were recorded by an infrared
thermometer (METRAVI MT-2) at a distance of
about 10 cm away from the site of recording. The
A significant increase in the evening UST was
observed in all the weeks of the experiment (Figure
2). Contrary to this, ST declined significantly
between morning and evening (P<0.01). A similar
pattern of change in ST was found during morning
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Buffalo Bulletin (June 2015) Vol.34 No.2
Table 1. Mean (±SE) milk, udder skin and skin temperature of control and experiment (mist+fan) Murrah
buffaloes during the hot-humid season.
Weeks of Experiment
Week
Avg.Max.Temp.(oC)
Avg. THI
M
I
34.10
79.80
II
33.5
77.85
III
32.30
76.84
IV
33.00
78.64
V
32.10
78.22
VI
31.50
75.60
E
85.56
83.04
82.68
84.69
84.26
81.60
MILK TEMPERATURE(oF)
Control
M
E
Treatment
M
E
Control
M
E
Treatment
M
E
Control
M
E
Treatment
M
E
96.08ax
96.91ax
95.66ax
97.00acx
±0.54
±0.40
±0.54
±0.39
98.31 ay 98.10 ay 99.53 ay
99.31 ay
±0.36
±0.40
±0.34
±0.36
96.95ax
97.28ax
96.98ax
97.31ax
±0.51
±0.44
±0.62
±0.48
98.23ay
98.01ax
98.15ay
98.58ay
±0.47
±0.41
±0.49
±0.44
o
UDDER SKIN TEMPERATURE( F)
93.88ax
92.23ax 94.18abx
91.60ax
±0.60
±0.65
±0.72
±0.74
98.35ay 96.46aby 99.86acy
95.46by
±0.42
±0.68
±0.63
±0.50
92.83ax
93.30ax 94.00abx
93.40ax
±0.59
±0.62
±0.59
±0.48
90.80ax
91.21ax
90.05ay
91.95ax
±0.71
±0.61
±0.52
±0.65
o
SKIN TEMPERATURE( F)
94.85ax
92.76ax
93.80bx
94.60ax
±0.57
±0.78
±0.40
±0.85
98.99ay
97.63ay 101.10ay
99.13by
±0.34
±0.58
±0.65
±0.53
92.98ax
95.20ax
93.68ax
94.05ax
±0.78
±0.65
±0.59
±0.45
90.86ax
91.75ax
92.08ax
91.75ax
±0.65
±0.71
±0 .55
±0.96
98.00bcx 97.75bcx
±0.38
±027
99.51 ay 99.76ay
±0.35
±0.27
97.13ax 97.00ax
±0.38
±0.37
98.03ax 97.65ax
±0.41
±0.40
93.22ax 94.63abx
±0.79
±0.69
96.73aby 97.66aby
±0.79
±0.70
91.66ax 92.01ax
±0.72
±0.69
89.68ax 90.85ax
±0.61
±0.65
93.43ax
±0.81
98.81by
±0.73
92.56ax
±0.55
90.30ax
±0.57
94.13ax
±0.84
97.96by
±0.79
94.90ax
±0.87
91.93ax
±0.70
Values with different superscript in a row (a, b, c) and in a column(x, y) differ (P<0.05). The values with
different superscript a,b in a row and x,y in a column differ (P<0.05).
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Buffalo Bulletin (June 2015) Vol.34 No.2
Figure 1. Dirunal variation in milk temperature, udder skin temperature and skin temperayure in
lactating Murrah buffaloes during the hot humid season.
Figure 2. Overall mean values of milk temperature, udder skin temperature and skin temperature in Murrah
buffaloes during the hot humid season.
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Buffalo Bulletin (June 2015) Vol.34 No.2
and evening recording. ST varied significantly
between groups (P=0.05) and between weeks
(P<0.01). Interaction of week × interval and group
× interval was significant for ST. The UST was
positively correlated to ST (r=0.568, P<0.01),
while MT was positively correlated between
morning and evening intervals (P<0.01, r=0.528).
The correlation between UST with MT, and ST
with MT was non-significant.
In the present study the significant
correlation of the skin temperature with the udder
skin temperature suggested that high humidity
and high ambient temperature affects the skin
temperature in Murrah buffaloes. However, it affects
milk temperature slightly and non-significantly.
Therefore, a large number of observations on milk
temperature could give a clear cut idea of the effect
of a hot and humid climate on milk temperature.
The significant changes in ST and UST was
expected due to the effect of the hot and humid
climate. The morning and evening variation in ST
and UST was attributed to the effect of the hot and
humid climate as both skin and UST were directly
affected by the hot-humid climate. Milk temperature
is solely controlled by internal body temperature
and therefore changes in milk temperature were
non-significant. The availability of mist and fan
cooling significantly decreased UST, ST and MT in
experimental buffaloes as reported earlier in cow
and buffaloes (Anonymous, 2006; Gudev et al.,
2007; Agarwal and Singh, 2008). The finding of the
present study is in agreement with the observation
that milk temperature shows a positive trend with
increasing environmental temperatures (Igono et al.,
1988) and may serve as an indicator of the impact of
the climatic environment on lactating cattle (Igono
et al., 1988). Bitman et al. (1984) reported a high
correlation (R=0.98) between udder temperature
and internal body temperature of dairy cows
suggesting that cooling the udder would directly
cool the internal body temperature. They further
observed that current day mean air temperature
during the hot period had the greatest impact on
cow p.m. milk temperature, and minimum air
temperature had the greatest influence on a.m. milk
temperature. In this study also the milk temperature
increased in the evening recordings in both groups;
however, in the experimental group, the increase in
MT in the evening was non-significant due to effect
of mist and fan cooling. West et al. (2003) reported
a curvilinear relationship of milk temperature with
dry matter intake and milk yield. The significant
changes in milk temperature in the morning and
afternoon also indicated that rhythmicity of UST
and body temperatures should be considered in
research on the chrono-biology of milk secretion
and mastitis (Bitman et al., 1984). In the present
study, none of the buffalo exhibited heat during
the experimentt as milk temperature also increases
during oestrus (McArthu et al., 2005). Research on
farm demonstrations show that micro-sprinklers,
mist, spray jets, fans and ventilation alone or in
combination can be effective in relieving heat
stress in farm cows and buffaloes in hot and humid
conditions (Schultz, 1988; Strickland et al., 1989;
Turner et al., 1989; Anonymous, 2006; Agarwal
and Singh, 2008). Our findings also suggest that use
of mist and fan decreased the skin temperature and
udder skin temperature and the milk temperature
in Murrah buffaloes and corroborate the earlier
report (Agarwal and Singh, 2008, 2010). Further,
research need be conducted on large number of
Murrah buffaloes throughout the year covering
different seasons on milk temperature association
with UST and the mastitis.
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Buffalo Bulletin (June 2015) Vol.34 No.2
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