EFFECTS OF SOME MANAGEMENT FACTORS (HOUSING CONDITION AND WATERING REGIMEN) ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF DESERT GOATS

This work was carried out in Sheikan locality, North Kordofan State, Sudan. The objective was to study the effects of some management factors on physiological responses of Desert goats and the experimental period lasted for 10 months. The results showed that lowest average goat Respiration Rate was at 12:00 pm while the highest Respiration Rate was at 18:00 pm (P<0.001). Rectal temperature, on the other hand, was highest (P<0.001) at the evenings (18:00 pm) and lowest (P<0.001) at the morning (8:00 pm). Respiration rates and rectal temperatures were comparatively higher under direct sunlight conditions in comparison with those for goats under shade , Goats with access to drinking water everyday had slightly lower (P<0.05) Respiration Rate and Rectal temperature compared with goats watered every other day. Respiration Rate stated low during May and rose in July August through December and then started to decline in January and February whereas Rectal temperature was almost constant with very slight fluctuations throughout the ten months of the experimental period. Goats had the lowest Respiration Rate during the summer season and the highest Respiration Rate during the rainy season (P<0.001), with winter season, but unlike Respiration Rate, Rectal temperature was lowest during the winter season. . Dry goats had comparatively higher RR and RT compared with pregnant ones..