"Diagnóstico bioclimático para a criação de ovinos no município de Pedreiras-MA"

Abstract

Sheep farming is highly valued in the Northeast region. Sheep farming is of great socioeconomic importance in Maranhão, and this crop still has a lot of room to grow, especially with the help of technology to expand throughout the municipality and state. Thus, defining production models that promote higher weight gain rates for offspring, shorter calving intervals and service periods, represents a basic pillar for the development and growth of sheep farming as a successful agribusiness (CUNHA et al., 2005). Bioclimatic diagnosis involves the analysis of climate data, such as temperature and air humidity, collected over several years. These data are compared with the thermal comfort values recommended for a specific animal species, in addition to bioclimatic indices such as the THI (Temperature and Humidity Index). This process allows us to identify the months and periods of the year in which the animals are or are not in comfortable conditions, according to the climatic variations in sheep farming. Thermal comfort is one of the main management practices that must be adopted in livestock farming to ensure high production and animal welfare