The effect of environmental temperature and humidity on the skin temperature of Ayrshire calves

Abstract

1. The skin temperatures at each of eight positions on the trunks of three 4-month-old Ayrshire bull calves were measured at 5 min. intervals in individual 6 hr. daily exposures to dry-bulb temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40° C. at 17 mg./l. absolute humidity, and 30, 35 and 40° C. at 7 mg./l. saturation deficit in a modified form of Latin square arrangement of environmental temperature. The schedule of experiments on each calf lasted 45 consecutive days and consisted of five replications of each of the nine environmental conditions. 2. The skin temperatures of the calves all rose with increasing environmental temperature, humidity and time of exposure.