EFFECT OF WATER RESTRICTION ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BLOOD PARAMETERS OF AFAR RAMS IN ARID AREA OF KALU DISTRICT, SOUTHERN WOLLO ZONE, ETHIOPIA

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of water restriction on physiological and blood parameters of Afar rams under arid climatic condition at Kalu District, Southern Wollo Zone, Amhara Regional state, Ethiopia. Eighteen healthy, 1.5 years old and 23-24 kg of live weight afar rams were randomly assigned in to three water restriction treatment groups with six rams each. The experiment was conducted during 4 seasons (viz. dry and wet season and the tests were carried out over the course of 2 months per season (dry and wet). The rams were divided into three treatment groups. Treatment one (T1) was the control group and had free access to water throughout the day; Treatment two (T2) received water once every 48hrs; and Treatment three (T3) received water once every 72hrs. The result indicated that the rectal temperature, pulse rate and body weight of rams in T2 and T3 water restricted group during dry and wet season were statically significant compared to the sheep in control group. Besides the rectal temperature, pulse rate and body weight of dry season were statically significant compared with wet season. Likewise packed cell volume (PCV,at P) and red blood cells (RBC,at P) of T2 and T3 of water restrictions were significantly higher in both seasons while changes were not observed for white blood cells (WBC). It is concluded from the present study that water restrictions of 48 hrs and 72 hrs resulted in effect on sheep in terms of physiological and blood parameters and the effects were more stressful during the dry season than that of the wet season and explains the role of water as limiting factor for animal breeding in low-water availability environments. Therefore, ensuring water supply to Afar sheep is important to reduce environmental stress and to maintain productivity of the animals