| 摘要 |
[Objectives] This study was conducted to evaluatethe physiological adaptability of house-fed Hu sheep introduced to the Zizhong area of Sichuan Provinceunder high-temperature summer conditions.[Methods]Adult male and female Hu sheep (10 per group) reared in a housing system in this region were assessed by measuring physiological,hematological and bloodbiochemical parameters.[Results] The body temperature of rams was significantly higher than that of ewes (P<0.05), whereas no significantdifferences were observed between rams and ewes in respiratory rate or heart rate (P>0.05). Ewes exhibited significantly higher values than rams in several blood physiological parameters, including total leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, hemoglobin content, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (P<0.05). No significant differences were detected in the remaining six blood physiological parameters between rams and ewes. Regarding blood biochemical indicators, ewes showed significantly elevated levels of albumin, cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, and the blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (P<0.05), while rams had significantly higher creatinine content (P<0.05). No significantdifferences were found between sexesin other 11 blood biochemical indicators, including total protein, globulin, and glucose. These findings suggest that under summer conditions in the Zizhong area, housed Hu sheep exhibit sex-based differences in physiological adaptability, with ewes displaying enhanced blood oxygen-carrying capacity and immune-related indicators compared to rams.[Conclusions]The study provides valuable insights for understanding theadaptation mechanisms of Hu sheepand developing gender-specific management strategies during subtropical summers. |
