ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Circadian Rhythmicity of Body Surface Temperature Responses in Red Sokoto Bucks Subjected to 12-hour Feed Deprivation During the Hot-dry Season

Background

This study investigated the circadian rhythmicity of body surface temperatures (forehead, ear, nose, and eye) in Red Sokoto bucks subjected to 12-hour feed deprivation during the hot-dry season in Nigeria’s Northern Guinea Savannah. Fourteen bucks were divided equally into an ad libitum-fed control group and a 12-hour feed-deprived experimental group, with surface and environmental temperatures measured at 2-hour intervals over a 26-hour period using infrared thermometry.

Results

Environmental measurements (mean temperature-humidity index of 74.18 ± 1.29) indicated that the animals were under thermal stress. Body surface temperatures showed significant correlations (P < 0.05) with the time of day. In both the control and fasted groups, peak temperatures for the forehead, eye, ear, and nose generally occurred during the hottest parts of the day (between 14:00 h and 16:00 h), while the lowest temperatures for all measured areas were recorded at 06:00 h.

Conclusions

Despite the presence of environmental thermal stress during the hot-dry season, a 12-hour period of feed deprivation does not significantly alter the natural circadian rhythms of body surface temperatures in Red Sokoto bucks.