3.2.2. Domestic species living in an arid environment
Dehydration at 22 °C depressed food intake of the domestic species
by more than 50% (Tables 1 and 4). Dehydration affected food intake in
the Turkana goats most severely (58.3%), followed by Zebu cattle (50%)
and the fat-tailed sheep (48%). The combined effects of dehydration
and an intermittent heat load further depressed food intake by an
average of 62% from that of the control period. Similarly, dry matter
digestibility was significantly depressed (Pb 0.01) by dehydration in
the Turkana goat (i.e. from 67% to 59%), and had an almost an identical
effect when these same goats were dehydrated in combination with
an intermittent heat load (Table 3). For the fat-tailed sheep and Zebu
cattle, however, the effects of dehydration on dry matter digestibility
were statistically unchanged (PN 0.05) from the values observed when
these animals were receiving water ad libitum. Similarly, when the fat tailed
sheep and Zebu cattle were dehydrated and exposed to an
intermittent heat load, dry matter digestibility decreased by 4 to 5
percentage points), but the reduction was not statistically different
from that of the controls (PN 0.05).