The influence of weather conditions on body temperature, milk composition and yields of the free-ranging dromedary camels in Southeastern rangelands of Ethiopia

Figures & data

Table 1. Camel body temperature (BT, °C), maximum ambient temperature (Tmax, °C), minimum relative humidity (RHmin, %) and maximum temperature-humidity index (THImax) prevailed during study period

Parameters		Dry and Hot			Wet and Cold
		Mean± Std. Dev	Min	Max	Mean± Std. Dev	Min	Max
BT (°C)	Infrared	33.6 ± 3.76^a	26.2	38.1	31.8 ± 3.09^b	26.0	38.10
	Rectal	36.4 ± 1.41^a	34.1	40.4	35.3 ± 0.91^b	33.9	39.20
TMax (°C)		25.3 ± 3.06^a	18.0	31.3	22.3 ± 2.54^a	15.0	27.40
RHMin		49.7 ± 8.97^b	34.0	74.3	80.3 ± 11.6^a	53.7	107.0
THImax		71.9 ± 3.52^a	62.9	78.6	70.3 ± 3.52^b	58.9	77.5

^ab Means in the same row with different superscript letter are different at P < 0.05

Figure 1. Hourly variation of mean body temperature in the time of the day by season

Figure 2. The relationships between temperature humidity index and camel body temperature throughout the study period

Figure 3. The association between temperature humidity index and milk yields throughout the study period

Table 2. Milk yield observed during monitoring in liter (Mean ± StD)

Season	Months	Morning	Daytime	Evening	Mean daily
Autumn	March	2.50 ± 0.67^b	1.88 ± 0.70^b	1.41 ± 0.62^b	5.79 ± 1.80^b
	April	2.53 ± 0.80^b	1.65 ± 0.63 ^c	1.31 ± 0.60^bc	5.49 ± 1.66^b
	May	2.55 ± 0.73^b	1.86 ± 0.64^b	1.43 ± 0.62^b	5.83 ± 1.90^b
	June	2.97 ± 0.62^a	2.27 ± 0.66^a	1.73 ± 0.56^a	6.97 ± 1.62^a
	Mean	2.64 ± 0.73	1.92 ± 0.69	1.47 ± 0.62	6.02 ± 1.83
Spring	September	2.26 ± 0.61 ^c	1.71 ± 0.61^bc	1.24 ± 0.53 ^c	5.21 ± 1.59 ^c
	October	2.38 ± 0.73^bc	1.77 ± 0.62^bc	1.34 ± 0.54^bc	5.49 ± 1.75^bc
	November	1.90 ± 0.54^d	1.36 ± 0.45^d	0.95 ± 0.44^d	4.21 ± 1.31^d
	Mean	2.19 ± 0.66	1.62 ± 0.59	1.18 ± 0.53	4.99 ± 1.66
Summer	July	1.71 ± 0.41^d	1.19 ± 0.39^e	0.79 ± 0.33^e	3.69 ± 1.01^d
	August	1.99 ± 0.60^e	1.36 ± 0.57^d	0.95 ± 0.51^d	4.30 ± 1.57^e
	Mean	1.86 ± 0.54	1.29 ± 0.50	0.88 ± 0.44	4.02 ± 1.38
Winter	December	1.29 ± 0.22 ^g	0.78 ± 0.18 ^g	0.31 ± 0.26 ^g	2.38 ± 0.40 ^g
	January	1.48 ± 0.22 ^f	0.94 ± 0.22 ^f	0.58 ± 0.21 ^f	3.01 ± 0.53 ^f
	February	1.17 ± 0.28 ^g	0.73 ± 0.23 ^g	0.36 ± 0.22 ^g	2.26 ± 0.57 ^g
	Mean	1.32 ± 0.27	0.82 ± 0.23	0.42 ± 0.26	2.57 ± 0.61

^abcdefg Means in the same row with different superscript letter are different at P < 0.05

Table 3. Milk Chemical composition (Mean ± STD)

Season	Dry			Wet
	Mean ± STD	Min	Max	Mean ± STD	Min	Max
Fat	3.87 ± 1.42	2.06	9.23	3.72 ± 1.89	1.00	8.63
Protein	2.46 ± 0.47^b	1.29	3.36	3.19 ± 0.80^a	1.74	5.22
Casein	1.70 ± 0.32^b	0.95	2.34	1.90 ± 0.39^a	1.12	2.93
TS	11.6 ± 2.13^b	7.28	17.8	12.7 ± 2.43^a	8.45	17.6
SNF	7.26 ± 1.20^b	4.21	9.14	8.53 ± 1.61^a	5.59	11.7
Lactose	4.41 ± 0.70^b	2.67	5.36	4.90 ± 0.77^a	3.34	5.99
^0D	13.6 ± 3.79^a	5.56	22.7	11.9 ± 1.71^b	6.86	14.2
^0T	15.5 ± 4.23^a	7.13	25.9	13.5 ± 1.72^b	8.80	16.0
Lactic Acid	0.14 ± 0.04^a	0.06	0.23	0.12 ± 0.02^b	0.07	0.14
Density	1030.5 ± 4.58	1023.1	1039.5	1029.4 ± 4.71	1022	1039
Citric acid	0.13 ± 0.03^a	0.07	0.19	0.11 ± 0.03^b	0.05	0.16
FFA	−0.15 ± 0.26	−1.09	0.20	−0.11 ± 0.23	−0.78	0.27
pH (fresh)	6.40 ± 1.00^b	5.10	8.70	7.03 ± 1.48^a	4.10	8.90
ECM	2.32 ± 0.60	1.55	4.47	2.46 ± 0.79	1.47	4.78

where SNF = Solid not Fat; TS = Total solid; ⁰D = Dornic acidity; ⁰T = Therner acidity; FFA = Free fatty acids; ECM = Energy-corrected milk. ^ab Means in the same row with different superscript letter are different at P < 0.05