Caracterização da variabilidade espacial dos índices de conforto para vacas leiteiras criadas em sistema de confinamento Compost Barn

Abstract

The present work aimed to characterize the thermal environment of confined dairy cows in a Compost Barn (CB) facility, based on thermal comfort indices. The experiment was conducted at the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rainy season, between the months of April and May 2021. For the thermal analysis of the rearing environment, the Thermal Comfort Indices were used, being the Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) and Globe Temperature and Humidity Index (GTHI). During five weeks of data collection, THI for the Compost Barn at no time was ideal for the thermal comfort of the cows. For GTHI, it was found that during the period of dawn and night, the values characterize a situation of thermal comfort for animals in the internal area of the CB. In the morning and afternoon periods, the thermal comfort situations for cattle were classified as thermal stress conditions (mild). According to what was presented, the thermal environment inside the CB shed was unsatisfactory in most of the evaluated periods, suggesting a challenging condition for the cows kept in the facility, regarding their thermal comfort.