Fleece Length and the Reactions of Sheep to Wet and Dry Heat

Abstract

THE experiments of Lee¹ indicate that shearing sheep may, depending on climatic conditions, either increase or decrease the animal's reaction to heat, and that atmospheric temperature and humidity conditions can be divided into two distinct groups on this basis. This work has been confirmed by Klemm², whose results clearly demonstrate that shorn sheep tolerate hot wet atmospheres better than unshorn sheep, the reverse situation applying under hot dry conditions. In view of these differences, it was of interest to examine the influence of a range of fleece lengths on the reactions of sheep to wet and dry heat.