RESUMO
Background: Sheep are a form of investment and a quickly liquidatable resource, particularly in traditional and low income production systems. Tropical and long warmseason regions always affect sheep production negatively
Methods: In this experiment 15 female and 7 male sheep were chosen and their body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate measurements and blood sample for biochemical parameters analysis were taken during May 5 to September 5
Results: Heart rate and respiration rate in male sheep were a little higher compared with female sheep but there was no significant difference between them respiration [56 vs. 55] and beat [120 vs. 118 per min]. Rectal temperature wasn't significant between two sexes [40.6-40.09 C°]. Also skin temperature wasn't significantly different between two sexes [36.02- 36.08 C°]. The only difference was related to month effect [p<0.05]. Sex and month hadn't significant different effects on blood urea, creatinine, glucose and potassium concentration. Blood urea concentration of female sheep was not significantly higher than male's [p>0.05]. Blood Sodium concentration was significantly different between two sexes so that male sheep had the highest minimum average [p<0.05]. There was no significant increase in blood Potassium concentration of female sheep compared to male sheep [p>0.05]
Conclusions: These results indicated that sheep of this region had been well adapted to summer heat stress and they showed usual changes of blood metabolites in response to heat stress